Best Friends forever and beyond
by Godess of the galaxy
Summary: Corso is bored with his life when approached by Sonny who offers a way out. But things are not all cut and dry, if life is hard for a pirate on the run, then life for a former millitary man is not any better. We will follow Corsos journey from cage fighter to pirate. It is not easy to be a wanted man, and Corso will learn who is truly there for him when he needs it most.
1. Chapter 1

_First of all, I want to give big credits to Paranoid Girl, who in her fic, created the planet Corso is from and where this entire story starts, The ring, where Corso is the reigning champion when he first meets Sonny and Magnus, who is recruiting new members. Sonny has already set his sights on getting Corso out of the cage fight scene, and when this story starts, all attempts so far of talking him into it, has failed. Or is there one last way that the pirates has not tried yet_? _Enoy the start, more chapters will follow._

Corso looked at Afra, then, his gaze went to The tall pirate, Magnus Blade. The bastard wore a mask, so that face was unreadable, unless he used his cybernetic eye that was. But the man standing beside Magnus, looked out of place, and was clearly uneasy. In fact, Corsos first thought was, he would shit his pants if he had to enter the ring. The blonde man, looked at him.

"Why are you even here Corso? This is not a place for you, Come with us, and see for yourself"he said.

For someone looking that uncomfortable, his voice was not matching the body language. He had an authority in his voice, and if given the right training, this man would be a future was, if he survived long enough. Magnus seemed to keep his eye on the younger man.

"We are wasting our time here Sonny, the ones associated with The Ring are good fighters, but they prefer a controlled enviroment"

he stated, hand on Sonnys shoulder now, preparing to leave. Sonny looked resigned, but allowed himself to be led towards the door by his commander, Magnus. Why he did it, Corso would not understand. But he had heard of this pirate before. Never figured he would show up here. But something about him attracted Corso like moth to the flame. This man had not reached his potensial yet, maybe he never would, unless he stepped in. They had peequed his curiosity now, and he had already decided on what to do. But it would not happen unless Sonny would prove that he wanted him out as much as he said he would. And that was what the ring was for. But first, seasl the deal. Afra also seemed to want to know what this discussion would end in.

"Before you hurry out the door, stop and listen for a moment you two.I got a suggestion." Corso said, looking at them.

That made the pirates stop, and look at him. Magnus face was unreadable behind the mask, but Sonny looked like a spark of hope this could turn in his favour had just been lit. Good, Corso wasnt sure he would like the next part.

"Wich is?" Afra asked. She was clearly eyeing the possibility for a fight.

Corso smirked.

"You talk big Blade,I think lots of it is romanticized bullshit. Pirate life cant possibly be that I dont figure you for a fighter, nor are you able to give me a fair match. Thats the only way you make on of the champs fighting in the Ring abandon it, by offering something that may be better than the money made here, not romantic dreams. Lucky for you, you didnt come alone. To take you on would be too easy, it would not feel satisfactory. But him..."Corso said as he beckoned to Sonny.

"Sonny seems to have what it takes, unlike you. So what do you say?You really want me out of the ring before it kills me, orare you just putting on a show too, being Magnus heir?" Corso smirked, leaning against the wall, waiting for a reply.

Sonny was not happy, he sensed where this was going. Corso was a pro in the ring, he was an amateur, any such fight would end in bruisings, and maybe it didnt lead to anything at all. But he had to make him say it.

"What are you suggesting Corso?" Sonny asked, bracing himself for the answer. It felt as if Corso had already made him, and was teasing to prove that he had been made.

Corso looked him in the eyes.

"A fight Sonny Blackbones. Yeah, I know who you are, You are already a name rising on the pirate sky. Most here has heard of you, but few has ever seen you in action. Would be a chance for all to see if Sonny Blackbones is a poser or a fighter. Besides, its not like you got too many options. The entire underground world knows what kind of trouble you are in.I am not sure what beef you got going on with Technoid, but thats another story. From what I have heard, it so happens, you facinate me, as a person, and if you are serious about wanting me in your ranks, your crew, you would do what it takes to get me out of the ring, right? So, fight me, and I will give you two options for what happens next, depending on the match outcome" He said, not taking his eyes of Sonny.

Sonny seemed to get it. Corso on some level at least, wanted out, he just didnt want to loose face in front of his peers. But he had to know what options was on the table.

"What options are on the table? I dont enter deals where I have no idea what I fight for" Sonny challenged.

Fair enough in Corsos was known to be careful, that was second nature for a to present his two options. Even Sonny would see this was a win win situation, for him. He could not possibly know that Corso was going to make this a win win for just happened to be the price for this win. Corso smiled.

"If you win Blackbones, I come with, no question. But if I win, I also come with, but I claim the right to be your instructor in handling arms, survival techniques and other needed training. Something tells me, you will need it, if you plan on staying alive. I have trained recruits before, most of them only kids, turned them into men. I can see when a man needs a few extra skillsets to make it out alive. And you seem to be in the need of more than one of those skills. I wont go easy on you, I will break you if I have to, maybe you think this sounds harsh, but you will thank me for it later, once you see how this will save your hide" Corso said, putting his offer on the table. Sonny seemed to think it over. Magnus was still unreadable. But Afra looked a bit unhappy.

"That means you are leaving the ring, no matter who wins." she concluded.

Corso looked at her.

"Sorry Afra, I guess I need a new challenge in life. And it seems that Sonny would be a challenge in his own right. Ever held a gun before Blackbones?" He smirked, as he looked at Sonny, who looked very uneasy at the thought.

"I taught so. A real rookie this one. Seems we met at just the right time. Dont worry, we will get along just fine. And for the record, No one defeated me in the ring yet. You may be the first to take down the champion" Corso said.

Sonny looked like he wanted to speak against him, claim that he could protect himself,but Magnus spoke first.

"Sonny, its your call. Is Corso worth it to you, or do you want to continue to look for people to be your crew?" Magnus asked.

Sonny had his back turned on all of them, as he thought Corsos suggestion over. In his mind, yes, it was worth the bruising, Corso did not come across as begging. He was as badass as he made himself out to be. That made Sonny make his nodded. "Ok, I will do it"...

* * *

They were here, ready to enter The Ring. Corso kept an eye on his oponent. Magnus was close to the Ring, clearly giving Sonny advice on the Fight. Well, he had to go easy on him. It was not his plan to cause the pirate harm. But he was not going to let him win either. Sonny didnt know it yet, but by the time this was over, he would have earned his right to train him into being several times tougher than what he was now. Sonny could handle it. Corso had even studied him during his preparation time. Sonny was the price he aimed for. And seeing your oponents moves gave an idea of what he had to do to win loose was not an option. That would seriously hurt his pride. And as an undefeated champion, no matter how well he liked the other man, you earned your win. Sonny was no different in that regard. Just another fighter to beat. Afra made them ready to go. Corso smirked as he saw Sonny with a helmet around his head and red boxing gloves. He didnt need protective gear, never had to. Afra called them to the center of the ring, reminding them of the rules.

"Remember, you stay down five beeps, it is over." she said. Then, she stepped out and the ring was closed up.

Corso and Sonny both nodded, Sonny wearing protective gear. Magnus Blades orders no doubt. Magnus didnt want his protege to get hurt. Fine, that was not his plan either. maybe some bruises, it depended on how Sonny fought. Corso smirked.

"Prepare for the beating of your life,It will give you an idea of your upcoming training"he said.

Sonnys hazel eyes lit up slightly at that taunt. Corso was thrown off by that. What had he just seen? A hint of fear in his oponent? Before Corso could decide, the bell rung, and Sonny got him with a hard right hook. Corso spat blood. He looked at the other man, who seemed to be waiting for his next move, whatever that would be. Ok tough guy, hardball it was.

"Dont get caught of guard that easily, you will bore your fans, I expect more from an undefeated champion, or were you just bragging?" Sonny taunted back, as he took a fighting stance.

That was it, it was on now. He could see Corso leap at him, causing them both to fall. Corso tried to get hold of Sonny, to pin him to the floor and end this, but clearly, Sonny would not play along with this. He broke free from his grip. And Corso barely had time to avoid Sonnys boxing tactic. So, the pirate knew how to fight eh, well, time to show him why he was the champ. Corso let the rage get to him. And found himself in a lock with Sonny. None of the two wanted to break away. Corso had already suspected it, but now he knew. Sonny Blackbones was definately no weakling. And he fought to win. Too bad that was not going to happen today. Corso manouvred them to were he had chosen in the cage, he was not going to injure the other man. Then, Corso swept the leg of an unsuspecting Sonny, causing him to fall. As soon as he was safely down on the mat, Corso was going for the kill. He got on top of Sonny and grabbed hold of his arms. Sonny was breathing hard, trying to break free from Corsos hold.

"Sorry Sonny, not today,I decided that I want my price to be the role as your instructor, and now you made me go about it the hard way. Take this as lesson number one" Corso said as he secured his grip, and pinned him down.

one beep, Sonny was still fighting to get up, two beeps, Corso locked eyes with him, slightly shaking his head with a grin, three beeps.

"Its over, I win,I look forwards to working with you. I got an idea on where to start now" Corso said, as the last beep sounded, and the bell announced the end of the fight.

Afra entered the ring, as Corso helped Sonny up. Afra declared him the winner of the match. As they were leaving the ring, Corso laid a hand to Sonnys shoulder.

"You fight good. I hope being your instructor will prove you have the same spirit when it comes to your own protection,You will need it" he said.

Sonny smirked.

"I may have gone easy on you, you know,For all you know, I may be fighting a lot with the pirates, making this easy because I wanted you out of here, at any cost" he teased. Corso grinned and the two headed to the locker room...

* * *

Sonny was putting his clothes back on after a shower. Corso happened to glance over at him. Sonny leaned against the lockers, clearly in pain.

"Are you ok Sonny?" he asked.

Corso was worried. Had he injured Sonny without intending to? Judging from how he was moving, he would feel sore all over. Corso felt a bit guilty, he knew his punches landed hard at times.

" Im fine, or rather, I will be. Gonna be bruised all over tomorrow" Sonny muttered, as he tried to stand up straight. but he let out a sound that clearly told Corso he was in pain.

Corso walked up to him.

" Lay down on the bench Sonny, I am going to make sure I did not cause you any injury, I happen to have a few remedies laying around. You will feel better in the morning" he said.

Sonny could only nodd, the pain was far greater than he had let on, and his senses told him, Corso posed no threat to him, if anything, Corso would help. As soon as he was on his stomach, Corso started a quick, military grade, physical examination of the other mans back. But when he reached the lower back, he got worried, as Sonny was seemingly not responding to any stimuli. Not even pinching the thin skin there produced any visible signs of neurologic reaction. It occurred to Corso, that Sonny had some nerve damage to his lower back.

" Sonny, how long have you had this injury?" he asked, voice strangely mild.

Sonny sighed."A few years, dont want to think of how I got it."he said, as he laid his head down on his arms. Corso looked him over. This man was nt even at his full potensial as far as strenght went. He would set up a training program for him and if need be, force him though it. But the injuries to his lower back would be an issue for a later time. For now, he needed to tend to the bruising from now. Whatever had caused the nervedamage. Corso could imagine was not a pleasant thing to talk about as it covered a rather large area of his lower back. He would let it go for for him, Corso had medical knowledge from the military. And he would put it to use. Corso walked over to his own locker,and took a tube with a special herbal mixed salve he had created for his own needs. In this case, it would make Sonny feel a bit better at least. Sonny was about to sit up, when Corso smiled.

" Stay down Sonny, I got something here that will take the worst of it."he said in a calm voice.

Sonny looked suspicious at him.

" What are the components?" He asked.

Corso listed them to him. A pirate was always sceptical, and that he could understand. As soon as Sonny knew the content, he agreed to the treatment. Corso opened the tube and spread it across Sonnys entire back. Carefully, he massaged the salve into the injured muscles in his lower back. Sonny visibly relaxed, and Corso felt good about applying the massage teqniques that would allow him to relax more. As he finished, Sonny carefully sat up.

" That salve of yours is really something, I feel better already, Thanks" , he smiled.

Corso looked at him. The thanks was even visible in his eyes.

" I am headed to my quarters to pack my belongings, then, we can go," he said.

" No victory party tonight?" Sonny asked with a smirk.

" No, lets not drag this out. I am no fan of public display of emotions, better get out before it gets to the tears and that shit," Corso said.

Sonny nodded.

Corso was done wrapping things up in the locker room.

" Want to come along while I pack? Since I am going to be your instructor, now would be a good idea to get to know what I am working with," Corso suggested casually.

Sonny grinned as he pushed himself of the bench. " Ok, Im coming with" ...

* * *

That was it, he was done with the ring. No more fighting every night, from here on started a new adventure. A chance to do something with his life, possibly find answers to the questions that burned within. The death of his daughter, his wife, Ascaron... He looked at his new boss, Magnus Blade. Then, he looked at Sonny Blackbones, whom he would share a cabin with. Sonny looked at the depressing landscape of Chissia.

" Feeling ready to leave all this Corso? There is still time to head back, if you are not up for it" he smiled.

" Nope, the decision is made. And you will find I am as hard an instructor as I am fighting" Corso said with a smirk.

" Feeling nervous about what you got yourself into yet?" He teased.

Sonny laughed, something Corso suspected was rare, even for him.

"No,I believe it will be a good thing. You clearly know how to read people from body language. How much you are in the right about things, I wont tell. You will figure it out" Sonny said.

A message on the ships intercom was asking Sonny to come to the ships bridge.

Sonny made ready to go.

" Sonny?" He turned to Corso.

" Yes?"he said.

" Thanks for the help, and the new start" Corso smirked.

Sonny nodded, with a small smile before he headed to the ships bridge.

Corso laid down on the bunk bed, next to the one that belonged to Sonny. There was little to no personal information to gain, with the standard night stand scrubbed , his eyes fell on an envelope, on the pillow of his bed, when did that get put there. The envelope had his name. Corso opened it. And it made him smile. He was welcomed by Magnus Blade, and his second in command, Sonny. And was the ships third in command. And Magnus first order was, get some rest, things would be busy when they arrived at Shiloh.

Corso folded up the note, and laid down, with a smile.

" Farewell Chissia, I am having a new start" ...


	2. Chapter 2

Free. That was the best describing word for how he felt. He had never seen Chissia as such a depressing place before,it was his home,where he belonged. that was, until now. Corso admitted to himself, although he was still a haunted man, and also wanted by chissian military, for crimes he chose not to think of, now, since he had become a pirate and all that came with it, he still felt free. It was like someone had freed him from an invisible chain. Life as a pirate was not boring either. In the weeks he had been here, he had already participated in several successful raids against Technoid. The raids brought in plenty of technology to sell. Sonny had proved to have a real nack for what convoys to go after. Sometimes, Corso felt he had a personal reason behind his attacks on the gigantic company. And with his level of success,there was no wonder he was such a pain in the butt for Technoid. Corso had learned that Sonny had only been with them for a short while, a few months more than himself, but a bounty for his capture had recently raised to two million standard credits. It was a mighty sum of money, and it astounded Corso that Sonny did not seem bothered at all by this fact. he acted as if he was completely safe, and as a pirate, you never were. If it had been him, he would have started to worry about the kind of attention this bounty would attract, but Sonny did not appear worried about it. Well, at least, he did not act worried. Corso suspected Sonny of hiding his true feelings, being well aware that being a pirate was living in a shark tank. But Corso had noticed how he would put on gloves, and protective goggles every time before leaving the ship. And he did not leave the ship alone. It had not taken him long to figure Magnus kept a close eye on Sonny, He had asked another pirate, Bennett, about it, and been told, Sonny was Magnus chosen heir. If Magnus got killed, Sonny would take his place as leader. And it seemed Sonny was well liked among his peers. As for him, having the skills he had,Magnus had made it crystal clear Sonny needed training in marksmanship, and Sonnys protests went ignored by the pirate chief. It was strange that someone that could be such an authority, could be looking so damn afraid of guns. Corso got the impression, Sonny hated anything that could potentially kill another human being. If not for the seriousness of it, Corso would have found it down right amusing. But sadly, this was a serious matter. he had his work cut out for him with Sonnys training, this became evident very early. The first sign was Sonny hesitating to pick up his laser before trainings. Corso looked at him with a mix of disbelief and grave worry at his clear resentment to the gun.

"Come on Sonny, it wont bite, pick up the damn gun, and get ready to head to the shooting range"Corso said.

And as usual, Sonny acted hesitant. Corso sighed.

"Look Sonny, I get you dont like guns, but trust me, one day those firecrackers may actually save your life" he said.

Sonny had just nodded, and picked up his weapon. And then, he clammed up like an oyster. he had seen it in recruits, kids doing this for the first time, realising in the most harsh conditions you could think of, that if they did not learn to use it, their lives would be cut short. Sonny could have fit into that group himself. This would indeed pose a challenge to help him overcome. Corso had to use all his skills to make Sonny get comfortable with the gun. Slowly, Sonny was able to keep his arm from shaking as he took aim, and the results was encouraging. Not the best results yet, but improving. He had been right when he saw Sonny as a was relentless as he had promised to be with the training. He had said not to slack off when it came to Sonnys training, and he stuck to his word. But outside the gun training, Sonny and Corso had grown closer as friends. Sonny had shown Corso around Shiloh, and the lair where their ship, The Black Manta, had her harbour. This also held a hidden city, and something that looked like a palace, wich he learned was Magnus Blades residence. Shiloh was a small city without the appearance of it. For now, they operated outside the city, in there, any pirate could relax as this was their safe heaven.

"And you, where do you live when not aboard the ship, Sonny? "He asked.

Sonny grinned.

"I stay aboard, or in the hotel section of the lair. I have not gotten around to get my own place yet. Also, I am not putting down any roots, one never know when your past will creep up on you." he said as they continued to unload the cargo.

Corso thought about his friends words later that day. You could get the feeling that he was not thinking this would last for him, that at some point, his luck would run out and he would be captured. Well, he had made a friend that would keep his hide out of that kind of trouble.

Other than that, he was starting to settle into his new home, slowly. There was issues adapting to this. No one would give him orders while out in the field, here he had to adapt to making the decision on his own. Mostly, he tried to stick to training Sonny, that was the right he had won by fighting him, the agreement to train him to do better. But it did not take long, before he also trained new recruits that joined them, in handling guns, marksmanship, and a few military tricks, like how to free yourself from ropes. Sonny had joined in on those sessions, and Corso discovered by accident that Sonny had very soft hands, and that fleeing ropes was easy for him. Corso also felt the need for alone time now and then, and Sonny had showed him where this could be done, safely, and without being disturbed. Shiloh had plenty of secrets, and it seemed Sonny knew most of them. Well, that figured, as he was second in command to Magnus. But the safety of Shiloh, it was nothing but an illusion, and Corso was soon to find out, just how dangerous life in the shark tank was if you did not watch your back. A good six months after he joined, he was to find out just why Sonny called the lair a shark tank and why they always operated in pairs or groups of four.

He sat at the control panels of The Black Manta, chekcing the new flight plans for the planned raids of the week,when Magnus walked in.

"Corso, have you seen Sonny? " He asked.

That made Corso look up. Last he had seen of him, Sonny had been at the cabin, reading a book, and resting.

"I thought he was resting in the cabin " he said somewhat puzzled.

Magnus shook his head.

"No, I checked. He was not there and did not leave a message about when he left or when he would be if you can reach him on his transmitter, I got a few things to go over with him" he ordered.

Corso nodded, and tried to call. There was no answer.

"He is not picking up, that is strange. Sonny usually always answers" he said, as he looked to Magnus.

Even with the mask on, he could sense Magnus getting worried. This was not Sonnys normal behaviour. He was usually one of the most careful ones on board.

"Something is wrong. Sonny would never go anywhere without letting me know. He knows how dangerous that is for him,with a bounty on his head" Magnus mused. And it was clear Magnus was getting angry with Sonny failing to pick up as he tried to call him.

Corso felt like he needed to defend his friend and room mate.

"Maybe he needed some space, to clear his head. He has had a lot to work through with the paperwork lately." he suggested.

Magnus nodded. That had to be it. He would show up soon. But then, they were interupted, as a young pirate, Bennett, he believed it was,approached them. he had a concerned look on his face.

"Magnus, A group of pirates just came from the bars over at sector seven, there was no sign of him there either, wich is odd, as they found this" he said and handed something to Magnus.

Corso looked at what Magnus held in his hand. he felt like he ran cold inside when he recognized the one item Sonny never took off. It was broken, as if it had been ripped off by force.

"Thats Sonnys Bracelet. I have never seen him take it off, it is like it is sacred to him somehow. Where did you find it Bennett. in that state, it seems he has been in a fight and its been torn off of him" Corso exclaimed, starting to feel worried. Something was definitely right here.

Magnus looked at him, now the mood had changed, from uneasy, to tensed.

"You are right Corso, he never takes this off. Something has happened. Bennett, seal the lair. No ship goes in or out until Sonny is found. I should have known the bounty on his head would sooner or later tempt someone. The rest of you, groups of minimum two. Search all of Shiloh, but find Sonny Blackbones. From the state of his bracelet, There is a real possibility he has been taken prisoner for the bounty on his head" Magnus ordererd fiercely.

Bennett nodded, and went to execute the order. Magnus looked to Corso.

"Corso, take a four man team, and get a search party going. Find Sonny at all cost" he ordered.

Corso nodded, but he sensed there was more. Magnus sighed.

"I should have known someone would take the bait sooner or later, I just hope we find him in time to avert a disaster. If Technoid gets their hands on him, they may end up killing him" Magnus said.

Corso had never seen Magnus so worried. It was with an eerie feeling he teamed up with Bennett and two others to go look for his bunk mate...

* * *

That became the start of some tense weeks. It felt like the lair was torn apart in the search for Sonny. And it was like he had vanished into thin air. Corso was getting frustrated, and angry. He spent the nights worrying for Sonny, where could he be at, whom had taken him, and was he still alive at this point. As he walked next to Bennett, searching another quadrant of Shiloh, he found he was speaking to himself.

"Whoever took him must have gotten out under our noses, and lord knows where Sonny is now, for all we know, he may already be dead. If he became too hot to handle for them, he may have been left behind, either dead or dying" he mumbled.

Bennett, who had joined his search team today, looked at him.

"Impossible Corso. When the lair is on lock down, no one leaves. No ships got out that day, I checked the logs. Besides,if Sonny had been handed over to Technoid, we would have known about it by now. "he said.

"Is that so? "Corso was suspicious.

Bennett nodded.

"They like to brag. If they finally had gotten their hands on him, we would see footage from the handover on holo tv, they have tried to get him for a while now, unsuccessfull of course. and there would also have been speaking of it over their frequenzies. We would have already known where they held him, possibly found out what would be done to him in captivity. I assure you Corso, they dont have him, and I believe he is still here on Shiloh, but whoever has taken him, may be hindering him from getting help. But we wont stop looking. Magnus will keep the lock down going till Sonny is found alive or his body found, I hope the latter is not the case" Bennett thought out loud.

Corso nodded.

"What about his safety beacon? Is there any way it can be remotely activated? As it is, we are searching blind. And the longer this takes, the better the chances Technoid finally gets hold of him. I just want to find him and get him back inside the ship, where he is safe" Corso said.

Bennett nodded this.

"You dont know of his past with them, do you? I am not surprised at that. Sonny rarely ever talks about himself or his past prior to joining us. In that regards he is a man of few words" Bennett said carefully.

Corso looked at him.

"Sonny isnt exactly forthcoming about his past, wich I can understand. I know something happened, possibly when he worked for Technoid, he has extensive nerve damage to his lower back. I asked once, about that. Sonny made it clear he didnt want to speak of it" Corso said.

Bennett was not surprised.

"Not very surprising, given the fact that that particular injury was caused by a Technoid operative. I dont know much, but I know Sonny was one of their best scientists. He was found by General Bleylock, and tricked into the program for gifted youngsters. his own words about it, I dont know where things went sour between General Bleylock and Sonny, but dont ask him about it. I came close to getting a black eye for even asking in the first place, and I have never seen him so furious ever before." Bennett said.

Corso nodded silently. His friend was holding on to his secrets very tightly, much like himself.

"Got it, now, lets make an effort to find him" he said as they headed out for another search...

* * *

It was incredibile. It had been fucking 6 weeks, and still not a trace of him! Magnus hid it well, but Corso sensed he was worried, more than worried. He himself had problems sleeping, and he had read all material he could find in the pirates databases about Sonny, his past with Technoid. But he found that information yeilded little answers as to where Sonny was now. Nor who had taken him. Corso rubbed his face. Seriously, The lair was completely sealed. There was no way they could have gotten him away from here. Unless... Corso checked the date that Sonny went missing. No ship going out that day. all logs, even the pods was docked when this was discovered. He thought of the time Sonny had been alone. it was less than 3 hours. Not enough time to securely abduct him from the lair. He had to still be on Shiloh. But where were they hiding him? Corso started a new sweep of all safety beacons. All were accounted for, except Sonnys.

"Come on Sonny, where are you? Give me a sign buddy, where do we search to find you?" He muttered as he tried to find a way to activate Sonnys beacon remotely. That way they could find out where to look. Corso was not sure if he dreamed it or not, it was as if he yelled the message out loud inside his mind, as if Sonny could somehow hear him.

But,as if by a miracle, a signal from a safety beacon turned up. Corso was puzzled, who could have that beacon designated to him or her? Then, he checked the list. His heart started beating harder, as a smile formed. It was Sonnys beacon. Sonny had somehow managed to activate it.

"Hang in there Sonny, help is on the way..." he said as he called Magnus to the bridge...

* * *

Corso felt his heart race now. Magnus had assembled a team of four as soon as he had the location data for Sonnys beacon. They had no idea what kind of situation Sonny was in, so they brought with them a needed package of bandages, and emergency supplies of food and water. This was over 4 hours ago, and now Corso had to get the infirmary ready,as Magnus had just reported that Sonny had been found, and he was safe. But he was very weak. Corso had asked on Sonnys situation and was told he needed medical attention, and IV fluids, as he was clearly starved, and incoherent. In fact, so bad, Magnus lef this team to deal with the kidnapers, and was rushing Sonny back to the ship for medical attention. He was on his way, with Sonny. Corso looked up as the door to the infirmary slid open, and Magnus entered, with Sonny unconscious in his arms. Corso felt his heart skip a beat when he saw Sonnys torn clothes and the bloddy cuts on his wrists.

"Is he..?" He asked, as Magnus carefully laid him down on the examination bench. Corso quickly started to clean Sonnys wounds and remove the destroyed clothes.

Magnus shook his head.

"No, he is still alive, but he is very weak as of now. He has been starved, and dehydrated. And worse,he is having an allergic reaction to something. I am not sure how long this has been untreated. When we found him, he was incoherent, so I forced him to hydrate with water. But he is in bad shape." Magnus said as he looked at him.

Corso nodded. He looked at Sonnys arm, and could see signs of allergic reaction in his bloodvessels. Sonny looked very pale where he lay. Corso had taken a pair of siccors and cut away the torn t shirt. Sonny appeared bruised, and had cuts and scrapes, he had clearly put up a fight when carefully cleansed the cuts on his wrists. Clearly, they had tied him up real good. Corso found some thin bandages and gently wrappend them around his wrists. As he checked him, he found no broken bones,but he was feeling cold. Corso hurried up his physical exam, and bandaged him carefully. Then, he wrapped some heating blankets around him, to keep him warm. As he turned to Magnus, Corso made a split second decision. Sonny would not be able to be in active duty for some time, he had lost muscle mass. he needed be cared for and slowly rebuild what the captivity had taken from him.

"I will take care of him, but for now, and weeks to come, he cant be in active duty. He has lost muscle mass. Change his diet to very light meals at the start, we can adjust it later. I also reccomend a lot of rest" he said.

Magnus nodded and left Sonny in Corsos care. Corso carefully lifted him from the bench, he was surprised at how light he felt. They had starved him alright. And he knew a bit about rebuilding after injuries, from personal experience. Sonny would need time, patience and care, but he would recover to his former strenght. as he entered their cabin, he placed Sonny in his bed, tucked him in and adjusted the IV fluids in his was the start of several nerve wrecking days. Corso had some blood tests done on Sonny, to find out what had caused an allergic reaction for his friend. it was easy to take care of. He could not immunize him, he did not have the remedies for that, but he could make a potion that would help him get through it. Sonny would fall in and out of consciousness for days, until Corso injected him with his potion. Sonny still slept a lot after that, but in the short periods when he was awake and coherent, Magnus and himself would try to figure out what had happened by asking him for details. So far, Sonny had managed to rely the details that he had stopped by a bar for a quick drink before heading back to the ship. he did not say why he had gone off alone, and they didnt ask. There, a group of young pirates, looking for easy money, had identified him, and decided that, since he was alone, it would be easy to take him prisoner. They had befriended him at the bar, and while one of the young men asked him something, another had slipped something into his drink. Sonny had felt intoxicated shortly after finishing his drink. he had tried to walk, but found his legs to buckle under him, and with a spinning head, and unclear vision, he had just been rendeered helpless. His new friends had promised the bartender to help him back to his ship, that had been false, as soon as they were not seen, they had attacked him, and forced him to go with them, with the intent to collect the bounty Technoid had put on him.

"But why did you not call for help? You know I would have sent someone for you. You are valuable to us Sonny, Technoid wont lay their hands on you that easily" Magnus had said.

Sonny had looked away.

"I should not have gone alone, I broke one of our most important rules of safety, and I felt ashamed "he admitted.

Magnus nodded.

"From this point on, You dont go anywhere without Corso Sonny. I may have underestimated the temptation your bounty may be for some of our younger men. Let this serve as a lesson to mind your personal safety first and foremost. Corso, you will be acting as Sonnys bodyguard. He goes nowhere outside the ship without you accompanying him. And for the time being, since you are severely weakened Sonny, bed rest. Corso, if need be, tie him to the bed, but for now, he stays in bed, resting till he is stronger" Magnus ordered.

Sonny looked like he wanted to object, but Magnus glare made him stay silent.

"Do understand that I do this to protect you Sonny. You are a leader in training, in the case of my demise, you will have to take my place. It makes you very valuable to the pirates. And if that is not what you want with your life, you will be free to leave, and take the risk with Technoid. Or we could hold you prisoner, against your will, simply for your own safety. The choice is yours" Magnus said, looking at Sonny.

Silently, Sonny nodded.

"Ok Magnus, you are the boss..."

* * *

Corso took time to massage Sonny that night. The captivity had left him feeling like his muscles was all bundled up in knots everywhere. Corso had no need for words, enough had been said. The last six weeks of stress and worry had to be let go of. Sonny was tense all over, and Corso applied pressure to make sure he would get the worst of it. Finally, it was like Sonny was relaxed. He turned slightly, to look at his friend.

"Thanks Corso,I feel better now" Sonny said with a faint smile, as Corso tucked the covers around him.

"Dont mention it, the important thing is,you are safe now. You may feel a bit sore tomorrow, but I got remedies for that. " Corso smiled.

Then he came to remember the bracelet that Magnus had allowed him to keep. In his free time, when he was not looking for Sonny, he had repaired it. In the hopes Sonny would be able to use it again soon. He got up from the edge of Sonnys bed, and grabbed it from the night stand.

"You might want this back" he said, and handed the bracelet to Sonny.

Sonny smiled gratefully, as he put it back on.

"Thanks Corso,it is a link to the past for me" he said.

Corso nodded.

"Maybe you will feel like telling me one day, but right now, rest. You look horrible, if I didnt know, I would think I was speaking to a ghost" Corso said dryly.

Sonny nodded.

"One day Corso, but not today" he muttered before he drifted into unconsciousness again.

Corso smiled, as he attached a bag of fluids to Sonnys arm. As he had been starved, they had to go about it carefully to repair the damage done. It would take some time, but something told Corso, Sonny would be all right. All that was needed was time. And as he checked the blood test results, he knew what had caused Sonnys allergic reaction. Imagine this pirate being taken out by something so simple. Good thing this was easy to flush out. Corso took a small syringe, and injected it into the IV fluids Sonny was already receiving. A few hours, and the matters should be taken care of. As Sonny was asleep, Corso decided so would be a good idea for him too. He laid down, after having locked the door. Minutes later, he was sound asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Sonny had recovered from his abduction due to Corsos care, and training. Corso had pushed him when needed, and had him slow down when his muscles needed to rest, to make sure he would come out stronger. For months, Sonny was hidden aboard The Black Manta, under Corsos watchful eye. Wheter he liked it or not, no one really cared. For his safety, this was the price he had to pay. And during the time, a close friendship with Corso grew even closer. Sonny was still hesiant to talk about his past. Corso had seen him look at a photo a few times, a beautiful red haired woman. When he looked at it, it was like he softened some, then, a heavy sigh followed, as if he knew there was no chance of a future with whatever and whomever he thought of. Corso hoped he would confide in him, during the time they grew closer, Corso still found himself deeply facinated by Sonny, on so many levels, it was like they were twins. Sonny had simmilar experiences to his own, and also ptsd, from the look of it. But he did not let anyone into his private world. Corso had decided not to would tell him if he felt ready. They had other things to worry about. There was tension brewing among the pirates now, and it happened to be turned against Magnus Blade. Or rather, against his activities. There was several pirates that was unhappy. They had lost close friends, even family, to Technoids reign. In many cases, the faith of the missing friends and family, was unknown. The pirates was now splitting into two fractions. One,and this was the smaller group, wanted to pursue building a fortune, to make a new future, but the larger group wanted the truth, about the missing families and loved ones. But there was no one to challenge Magnus, who could bring the change in direction that was needed. A few weeks after Sonny was cleared for active duty again, Corso accompanied him to a meeting among the pirates. The matter with Magnus was reaching boiling point, and something had to be done. As they entered the building the meeting was held,Corso looked at the crowd. He and Sonny had arrived just minutes ago, and the disgruntled crowd was trying to find a challenger to Magnus reign. Whoever that was, it would bring changes, but possibly not the ones they looked for. To be honest, he too had personal reasons for wanting to take a closer look at Technoid and their dealings. But who would have the guts to challenge Magnus, and be the leader the pirates so desperately sought? Most pirates felt in debt to Magnus, for having somewhere to hide once they managed to flee. No one would benefit from challening him for the title. It would take courage to do so. Maybe they had no one among them ready to step up to the plate yet. he looked at Sonny, whom seemed to take in the mood and the situation at large. There was a determination in his hazel eyes, one Corso had failed to see minutes before. As the discussion continued, Sonny remained an attentive listener. But he was clearly considering the options. And as the meeting drew to a close, the answer to the problem came as a surprise to all of them. In a hefty debate, about whom was best suited to challenge Magnus during the meeting, Corso was surprised when Sonny stood up in the crowd.

"I'll do it. I'll challenge Magnus As the leader of the pirates" he said, looking at the ones in the room. Corso was not sure he had heard this right. Sonny was second in command, and would now offer to challenge Magnus for the throne he was being trained to once take any way. Sonny seemed firm in his decision on pirates seemed relieved. Finally, they stood a chance to bring a change to the pirates agreed to vote over this on the following night. The meeting came to an end soon after that call.

On their way back, Corso noticed Sonny was unusually silent. his friend was in deep thoughts about what had to happen. Maybe he had bit over more than he could chew now. And now, there was no way to get out of it.

"Having regrets about your decision already?" Corso asked to lighten the mood.

Sonny smiled sadly.

"No, it 's just..Magnus took me in when I had nowhere to go. Without his help,Technoid would have found me, and then, lord knows what would have happened. I just can't help but feel like I am about to stab someone I care about in the back with this. I can see how it is necessary, but it just doesnt feel like a good thing either" he said.

Corso nodded. He had not told anyone among the pirates yet of his past in the Chissian millitary, be it a false sense of loyalty to the chissian millitary still, despite the way he had been treated by them. Hell, they had made him a wanted man,accused of a crime he never committed. He had fled, before things got out of hand. And found a purpose in The Ring. Fighting was all he knew how to do anyway. As always, when he taught of it, the old rage flared up. Just a second, but long enough for Sonny to take notice. Those hazel eyes looked compassionately at him, a kindred soul that got what he felt.

" You seem to get the feeling of what I am talking about Corso. Want to talk about that past, what made you a ticking time bomb of anger, set to go off the minute someone says the wrong word?" Sonny asked.

Corso bit the inside of his cheek. off course Sonny had noticed that moment the anger flared up. He hid it well, but he was dealing with Sonny now, and Sonny was known as a sharp observator. His question was a fair ask. Corso sighed.

"Not particularly. It is better you don't know Sonny, I don't want to drag you into my personal hell,you have enough on your mind as it is"he said silently.

Sonny nodded. To make Corso talk would not be easy, if he wanted to know the story, he would have to balance it. And it so happened, he had a story to trade, that Corso already wanted to know more about. Sonny decided to offer a trade.

"Then how about a trade Corso? You tell me what made that anger flare up so suddenly, so I avoid accidentally triggering it in the future, and I'll tell you what you want to know about the injury to my lower back, the nerve damage you are so worried about. Don't think I haven't noticed those concerned looks every time you give me a massage before we go to sleep. I may be tired, but obseravatio skills helped me stay safe in the past, and since you have read the file on my past in Technoid, you know where I came from. I know you worry about causing me pain when you do the deep tissue massage Corso, but you know, it doesn't hurt, not since Magnus made me have corective surgeries, with replacement skin. The damage is only skin deep, through all the layers, I have been thoroughly examined, no deeper muscle injuries were detected. And the doctors here in shiloh are some of the best the galaxy has. They just can't tell anyone that they help us. We pay them well, as it is risky to come here, but even more risky the other way. The point of this is, Magnus went beyond the call of duty, as my boss, as my leader, to help me out when I was brought here as a prisoner by the pirates, he made sure I had light modifications done to my face, the way my beard grows,my eyes, and finally, my back. I owe him my life, perhaps more than that, and having to do this..I know I have to do it,I have commited to it now, but it does not make me feel all happy either" Sonny sighed.

Corso thought about what Sonny offered. It would make him understand his room mate better. And true, it would only be fair to let him know what not to say, to avoid old anger and rage from flaring up. Perhaps this one sided agreement he taught he had made, when fighting Sonny in The ring, was not as one sided as he originally taught. It could actually be, Sonny could help him deal with some of his own ghosts too. Corso had to admit, he had taken a real liking to his new friend over time. Sonny stood out, and when he led raids against Technoid, it almost would look like a personal victory to him. Corso had even caught him smirking when they would fly in ways that would lead Technoid blind and slide into stealth mode while in flight. And not to mention, all the riches it brought. Sonny had put his cut of the raids aside, and finally gotten his own place in the lair. And what was more, he had asked Corso to move in with him there, to have a place outside the ship, while he grew his finances. No wonder the rumours had started, that they were more than just friends. Corso had moved into the bachelor apartment Sonny had gotten, and made the extra bedroom his own zone. As for the rumours being spoken of behind their backs..He would only admit to himself, he wished there was some truth to it. But Sonny had not given him any signals that he would consider such arrangements. And what he offered now, would allow him to get a deeper insight into who Sonny really was. Corso made his decision before he chickened out.

"Ok Sonny, you got yourself a deal. But be adviced, I will ask detailed info. No half baked answers, or I will show you just how silent a chissian solider can be, even under immense pressure. Believe me, your pirates has no way to make me break silence if I dont want to. My training assures that" he warned his friend.

Sonny nodded.

"The same goes for you Corso,It is either all the way or no way. What you ask of me, I ask in return..."

* * *

This was it. The voting was kept secret from Magnus, if he knew about it, he would surely close it down. Corso had just arrived with Sonny after a long day at The Black Manta. All had to act as if all was normal to avoid tipping Magnus off. The thought of his anger if he heard of this... Corso almost hoped he would stay, to avoid his rage getting turned on his oposer, Sonny. It was tense in the room where the voting would be held. Sonny could not part take in the voting, as he had put himself up as a candidate to be the pirates leader, and his oposer was the ruling leader, Magnus. Corso knew this was hard on Sonny, he had caught him in deep thoughts all through the day, as no one knew what the voting would bring. What was more, Magnus had deliberately not been informed of this, fearing he would rule the outcome void. A box was sealed with a strip that would be cut open after the voting, to assure a fair voting. For hours. he saw pirates cast their votes, now it was his turn. Corso stepped forth, to cast his vote. And he had decided no matter the outcome, he would go with Sonny. If Sonny lost the voting,Magnus would exile him, and Sonny would be alone against Technoid. That was an accident waiting to happen. All alone, Sonny would be tracked down, and possibly killed on sight. Either that, or he would be forced back to the company he seemingly hated. Corso had a back up plan ready for the worst case scenario. If it was just the two of them afterwards, they would head back to Chissia. He would take up fighting again if need be. And since he knew of Sonnys profession now, he knew Sonny had knowledge, medical and other, that would benefit his planet, and even The Ring. Afra would welcome him if need be. Sonny would get past his discomfort, once he got to know all the people there. All would be fine. The important thing was, keep Sonny out of Technoids grasp at all cost. Why they were after him, was still a mystery to him , and one Sonny did not open up about. He had tried approaching it, and Sonny had been like an oyster. Clearly not yet ready to let anyone in, and share what had made him a wanted man, by this big company with way too much power as it had thought up several scenarios that could occur, and there was no way he was going to let Sonny fall into Technoids hands. They had not been able to find the file that said what was in store for the former Technoid scientist if captured, but the lack of information itself spoke volumes. Corso rightfully feared, he would either end up killed by them, or be forced to work for them, against his will. Technoid had ways to force reluctant ex employees to do their bidding. Blackmail was one of their ways, scapegoating another. And did he know all about what it meant to be scapegoated. If Technoid had anything at all on Sonny, they would use it to force him to his knees,and leave him no choise but do what they asked. Bennetts words still rung in the back of his mind. Sonny had good reason to flee them, but he was not speaking of what that reason was. Corso snapped back to the here and now moment, having cast a glance over at Sonny, who seemed very tense and uncomfortable where he sat. It was his turn to vote. Corso looked at the two options, Sonny or Magnus. He owed them both, for getting him out of the cage fighting at The Ring,but he could only choose one. And since he did not care much for money, it only attracted negativity was his experience,the option Sonny stood for, truth,justice, and answers,wich was much more was the deal breaker. and it made hids choise easy. Corso gave his vote for Sonny...

* * *

The voting was over. And all took their seats as the votes was counted. The pirate in charge of the voting,Zarind, rose.

"We have a clear winner. 80 percent of the votes is in favour of a change. The vote of the all the shiloh pirates that gave vote tonight, is we want change. It also means, we have have a new leader chosen. Give your respects to Sonny Blackbones, who stepped up to the plate when his fellow men needed him to,We welcome the changes this will bring".

Sonny stood up to receive the cheers of his to be men. But Corso could tell, he was worried. How would Magnus react to all this? And Magnus Blade could be dangerous. Sonny was well within his right to be nervous. He would be too. The group got up,and walked towards The Black Manta. Time to start the changes within the pirates organization...


	4. Chapter 4

The pirates armed themselves before they marched towards the Black Manta. The pirates that had shifts, had left their votes earlier in the day, so no vote was left out. The big group saw the gigantic ship looming before them. Sonny swallowed a lump as he approached The Black Manta, with the pirates behind him. What he was about to do, Magnus would go into a fullblow rage over, that much was certain. There was no way this could be done without a fight. And Magnus would not keep anyone on board that he saw as a threat, himself included. Everyone was expendable, that was why they were pirates, even with a stabile crew, there was still lots of new recruits coming and going. Not even he was safe from Magnus wrath. It made him feel uneasy, and very tense. This part of the plan, would not be fun, and could end in disaster.

Corso was two steps behind Sonny and he sensed how tense Sonny was. And for good reason too. What he was about to do,it took a lot of courage. Corso admired this in a man. It was not about Sonnys comfortzone, it was about the good of the Shiloh pirates as an organization,and about something much bigger, their common enemy, Technoid. And finding answers to what happened to loved ones. Lord knew they had tried before, and all such investigations was shut down, as Magnus was not about to spend money, lloking for ghosts as he put it. It had gone on long enough to anger sufficient numbers of pirates, to take a stand against him. Corsos thoughts were interrupted as Bennett had joined them, along with Zarind. As he sensed it too, Zarind turned to Sonny.

"You can't turn and run now Sonny,you must follow through. What is the weapon that feels the most comfortable to you?Magnus will use the whip, whatever you choose has to be able to stand up to that" Zarind questioned.

Sonny seemed to think. Corso had a hidden hope he would finally feel comfortable enough to use a gun, as that would be quick and easy, and eliminate any threat from Magnus. But he had a sneaking suspicion Sonny would go for something less lethal, as it was clear to anyone that knew him, he would not kill anyone, least of all Magnus, despite how he felt about him.

"I'll use a sword. No firearms. But get a prison cell ready. I am not about to exile him, I will offer him to stay under my reign" Sonny said resolutely.

Corso nodded it. He had expected that. Sonnys skills with a gun was a lot better now than it had been, but he was still not comfortable with it. Sometimes, it was like there was two persons inside of him, fighting for control. One side, wich sounded much like the professor he had been, just a few years back, Professor I'Son Danvers, one of the best scientists Technoid ever lost. To understand where Sonny came from,Corso had seen the video file Magnus had given him, while Sonny was drifting in and out of consciousness while he was recovering after the allergic reaction that had allowed him to be captured, and seen how it had all started. He had learned a lot from that video file,and he realised, wars could take on many forms. You did not have to be in active war duty like he had, to experience it. Sonny had been in the war too,just not in the same way as him. Maybe it was a different scenery,but the methods were the same. Blackmail, extorsion,and finally, scapegoating. It occured to him, most Technoid staff that escaped, they either had deliberately had all their meories erased, or the trauma of their escape, caused a severe form of PTSD, causing them to forget things to be able to carry on living. He had seen several such cases, seen the compassion and understanding in the pirates eyes, and how, if they were dressed in labcoats with Technoids logo, Sonny seemed to wince at the look of said coat. he was traumatized by what he had experienced while working for them, that much was clear, but what had happened to cause this reaction, the files said nothing about. When it came to Sonny seemed to be the exception to the rule. Sonny seemed to remember...everything. He was not affected the same way as others who successfully fled Technoid had been. It seemed his escape had been such that they had not been able to put him through this process. Corso knew how Technoid operated,He had met a few of the ones lucky enogh to escape, in The Ring. So he knew their stories. Could this be part of the reason, they were hunting him down? To take care of the problem him remembering everything caused?He had seen a photo of Sonny, before he became the Sonny Blackbones he knew. Professor I'Son had looked meek, and almost afraid of his own shadow, while Sonny Blackbones, the man he was now, all these bits were being chissled off of him,it was weaknesses he simply could not hold on to here as a pirate. It truly was like someone was taking the diamond in the rough that I'Son was, and cleared away the weak parts, and impurities, and in the process, they were creating Sonny Blackbones, a furious pirate, who still held a lot of anger inside. How he controlled that, amazed him, Sonny did not explode into a fury. When he got angry, he was even more dangerous for Technoid than ever. It was like the anger was fuelled into a devious and precisely executed attack on a particularly valuable convoy, taking the cargo, sometimes even the ship was taken, and claimed by the pirates. The prisoners, if they were robots, the pirates reprogrammed them for their own use. Since no one liked to cook, a robot was programmed for that. Other robots were given a certain level of freedom. Or to be of help to their new owners, or sold off to bring in money or traded for things the pirates needed.

Corso was torn back to the here and now, by Bennett placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Here comes the showdown. Let's be prepared to help him any way we can. He might need it" he said.

Corso detected a bit of unease in the other mans voice. This was not going to be pretty. Infact, he felt this could get very dangerous.

"I'll just try to keep him alive. And hope he is able to win this, if not,this will be a massacre" Corso muttered, as they followed behind Sonny, who looked unspeakably tense the closer they got to the ships command center.

Sonny had taken a sword,and put it in a sheath behind his back. He looked tense as they enterd the bridge/ Magnus looked up, as they entered, noticing the crowd behind them.

"Magnus, we need to hold a meeting, it is important" Sonny started, letting the number of pirates behind him speak for themselves. Magnus had also noticed the crowd and realised this was a matter that could not wait.

"I see, to the meeting room then" Magnus ordered.

As they entered the room, The men did not sit down. They remained standing up, looking at Magnus and Sonny. Bennett, Corso and Zarind was on the outer flank, ready to support Sonny, if he needed their help.

"Now. will you tell me what this is about? I can see a lot of disgruntled faces here" Magnus said, looking at the crowd.

Sonny knew it fell to him to speak for them all.

"Magnus, this is an uproar. The pirates has had it with just going after Technoid convoys over and over, and that is all well and good, but there are more important things to us. Many of us has lost family, loved ones and more to Technoid. We don't want the money, we want the truth, about what happened to them, some of them may be unjustly in prison because of us. We have tried, time and time over, to investigate, and find answers, only to be repeatedly shut down from doing so. The excuses for not seeking the truth is on a very thin basis. We know some of those we seek are still alive, perhaps injured, perhaps in prisons, and this is easting away at the men. I have tried to find out what could be done to better this, and I found this ran a lot deeper than I initially thought. I am asking you, on behalf of all of us, to help us out with finding answers, or you give us no choice but to remove you from the seat of power"Sonny started.

Only to be cut off by Magnus laughter.

"Sonny, you and everyone else know what we are. We are pirates, and what we do come with a risk. Wheter we pay it ourselves or others we care for, it doesn't matter. What good will the truth do? As wanted men, you can't return to them, even if they are free. They will be watched by Technoid, and if you show up, you will be arrested, and tortured to give up where the lair is. I can't allow that. If you join the pirates, you give up your freedom for a bigger cause" Magnus said.

Sonny was seething now.

"So, what you are telling us is, what happened to them, does not concern us because we are pirates? That we should keep doing what we have always done? You are right Magnus, the cause is bigger than us, but to allow for innocent parties to be held unjustly in prison or worse, just to make money, it is not acceptable, for me, or anyone else here. You are either with us, or against us" Sonny yelled, and pointed his finger at Magnus.

Magnus looked at Sonny, Corso wished he could read him behind that mask.

"That is what pirates do Sonny, and if you don't like it, I will happily erase your memory of the lair and send you on your way to take your chances with Technoid. I did expect better from you. You might need to be taught where your place is. Rebellion will not help, not you,or anyone else" he said.

Now, Zarind stepped up to Sonnys side, placing a hand on Sonnys arm to stop him from doing a permature move against Magnus.

"Magnus, we suspected you would react like this. The pirates wants a change of direction. If you are not with us, then we have to count you as unreliable. So, The Pirates has voted for a new leader. The choice was between you and Sonny. And by democratic voting, we chose Sonny. He is the new leader now, we ask you to recognize him as such. It was 80% of the pirates in favour of Sonny taking over as leader now." Zarind said.

Sonny had silently taken a step back and taken the sword out of the sheath. If there was going to be an explosion, it would come now. Magnus looked at Sonny, and even the mask could not hide his seething anger.

"WHAT? How dare you? I am the leader of the Shiloh Pirates!" Magnus roared.

Zarind remained unphased.

"Not any more Magnus. We chose Sonny. Recognize him as the new leader, and you can stay, resist, and you will be exiled".

Corso crouched slightly down as he saw Magnus launch at Sonny with a roar. Sonny barely had time to block the attack with his sword. he raised his sword in front of him, while backing carefully away, to avoid others getting injured in the duel that would now take place. The pirates silently widened the circle around the two men than would now do battle.

"Give them space to fight" Zarind called out.

Sonny now had his sword drawn in front of him, while he locked eyes with Magnus.

"It doesn't have to end like this Magnus. I won't throw you to the wolves. You can still stay, it just cant continue the way you run things." Sonny tried.

Magnus was not hearing it. He was furious beyond the point of reasoning, and Sonny knew well, how dangerous this was.

"You ungratheful little shit Sonny. I should never have taken you in. If not for me, Technoid would have ended you by now, and this is how you repay me for all the help I gave you,by betraying me!",Magnus yelled in fury.

"You did this to yourself Magnus. If you had listened to your men, this could have been avoided" Sonny said, before he had to jump out of the way from a new attack.

"By the time this is over, you got nothing left Blackbones, I will make sure Technoid finally learns where you are hiding. And I don't even have to claim the bounty. If there even really is one. You clearly dont have what it takes to make a leader after all" Magnus roared.

There was no point trying to talk to him, he was blinded by rage. Corso kept an eye on Sonny, that kept an eye out for an opening to avoid others getting injured in the duel. Only one of them would get through this, and it appeared, a raging Magnus was a handful, even for him. For a second, his eyes found Corso. And in that split second, he saw the support from Corso, and Bennett. That gave him the strength he needed. Sonny pulled out, towards the loading dock of the ship. This was a safer place to fight, away from the crowd. Corso had followed and watched horrified at the scene along with Bennett and Zarind.

Sonny tried to attack Magnus, but was thrown in the ground, and now Magnus was walking towards him.

"He's gonna loose this, and the way Magnus acts, this wont end well. Magnus wont exile Sonny, he will kill him, in front of us." whispered a frightened Bennett.

Corso was grinding teeths. This could end in Sonny getting killed, by a fellow pirate, rather than Technoid. If only there was something he could do. Sonny looked up, sword still in hand. He looked insecure as Magnus walked toward him. Sonny moved slowly backwards, towards the loading dock, if he could bring the fight there, he could avoid others getting hurt. Magnus followed him, furious and slowly, till he made contact. Sonny was thrown backwards, as if he was a ragdoll. Corso held his breath with fear. He prepared to see Magnus kill Sonny on the spot.

Then, as a last resort to end this battle, Sonny threw his sword towards Magnus, it missed Magnus, but lodged in a pipe just beside his head.

"Magnus is beyond reasoning, he is going to kill him" whispered Zarind terrified.

Corso felt helpless. There was nothing he could do now.

Then, a sharp hissing sound was heard. Sonnys sword had pierced a pipe, carrying hot steam around the ship. The steam hit Magnus eye.

"AAAARRRRGH" roared Magnus.

Sonny tried to get up, but in all the steam, he could not see clearly, Sonny dropped to the floor, to be able to breathe. As the fumes filled the air, Corso felt someone push him aside, as he was running out of the room. From the push, and the size of the man, Corso knew this was not Sonny. It was Magnus, making his escape from the fumes.

No one thought of following him, right now, they worried about Sonny.

Bennett was able to isolate the broken pipe quickly. Sonny was sitting on the floor, panting as Corso and Zarind reached him.

"Where is Magnus?" Sonny asked as Zarind helped him to his feets.

"I don't know, someone pushed me,to break free, must have been him, he felt like a tall guy"Corso answered.

As Sonny stepped forwards, he felt something under his foot. He bent down, and picked it up.

"That is Magnus mask. What does that mean?" Bennett wondered.

"That is Magnus declaration to Sonny that he is now the new leader. The fallen mask is the sign" said Zarind.

Corso looked at Sonny.

"Congrats Sonny. You are the boss around here now" he smiled.

Sonny looked at , he looked at the mask in his hand. This was feeling like a shallow victory. And as a result, he had to exile Magnus, from all he knew. That did not leave a good feeling. But for now, he had other matters to tend to. A leader needed someone to hold him accountable for his actions as he built his empire. And Sonny had already given it some thought as to whom they should be. Now was his time to announce it. While other pirates took care of the few that supported Magnus and jailed the most violent ones, Sonny called his men to the ships bridge, he had an announcement to make. Sonny raised the platform in the room so they could all see him.

"Friends, tonight starts a new beginning for the pirates. I am sorry things had to end like this, but I promise to make something better bloom from the misery we all lived under. You have chosen to give me trust as your leader. I will humbly take this role on. But before I do,I need a right hand man and also, a left hand man to help me make the best decisions for the pirates as an organization. Tonight, it became very obvious wich two that has to be. Bennett, will you be by my side in this as the left hand man, and third in command?" Sonny asked, as Bennett took a step forwards.

"I would be honoured Captain Blackbones" smiled Bennett.

Corso looked at him. It came down to him and Zarind now. Who had Sonny chosen as his right hand man and second in command? Who was worthy of the seat next to him? Corso expected Zarind, who had been around longer and was more experienced with the pirates ways to be chosen. He would not be a part of the top dog team.

He felt Sonnys gaze on him, as Sonny lowered the platform, stepped off it and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Corso, I choose you. Will you serve by my side, as my right hand man, my confidante, and second in command of the Shiloh Pirates?" he asked softly.

Corso swallowed. "I would be honoured Sonny"...

* * *

That night, they celebrated. Sonny had allowed for a huge celebration now, as he took seat as the leader. Corso sat down beside him.

"So, will Bennett be my new room mate now, since you are moving into the captains cabin ?" he asked,matter of factly.

He should have known that would not last. Sonny put down his beer, and looked at him with a smile.

"Corso, as second in command, you share the cabin with me. A captain and his right hand has to be in communication with each other all the time. And some matters are confidential. You pack your things and move it into the captains cabin as well" Sonny said.

"There is only one bed in there you know, the guys will start talking, and no way if I am putting up with being seen as the Captains pet." Corso warned.

This just made Sonny laugh.

"We will have another bed put in. We will be on separate shifts most the time, at least in the beginning. Whoever is off watch, sleeps, until we get it fixed" he said.

Corso smiled.

"This will be a new adventure. Did you figure yourself in this role Sonny?" Corso asked.

Sonny didn'say anything for a moment,just downed his beer. Corso could not stop himself from admiring the calm and collected way Sonny handled his new role. He had superiors in the military that thought they knew what it meant to be a leader, and here, he had Sonny, who seemingly had no such background, and who just naturally seemed to know what to do and how to be a leader.

"No,but we will both grow with the challenge. Come what may Corso, we will face whatever the galaxy throws at us, head on. And we will find the truth in regards to Technoids dealings, past and present, That I promise you" Sonny said.

Corso nodded, with a smile. For once, he truly could believe it. Sonny would stick to his word. That was who he knew him to be. Sonny was just, and so honest. Maybe a bit naive at times, but he was learning. And now, Corso realised what his purpose in life was. Sonny would do lot of good, but as he did it, he would need someone to confide in, someone to rely on. Someone that would have his back, since he still had a bounty on his head, at some time that was sure to attract bounty hunters. Not all of the things Sonny planned on doing was without danger. He would protect him from the worst of it. Hell, what Sonny needed was a goddamn fulltime bodyguard. And since he was the one with the skill set to do it, it would fall on him. He would protect Sonny, keep him safe from harm, and out of Technoids claws. And he was going to find out more about what Technoid had really done to him, what caused his friends hazel eyes to grow dark with anger every time he was reminded of his past with them. He already knew a lot, but there was still puzzle pieces missing. But together,they would find them.

He looked up as Sonny sent a long look towards a girl that was dancing on a small stage in the pub they had chosen, with a smile on his face. She was pretty, with long dark hair and flirty eyes, and red lipstick. Corso noticed that she seemed to aim her flirtation at Sonny. He looked at his friend. Sonny seemed interested. And he had been without female company for a while, at least he had not seen him with anyone. Off course they sometimes met up with women, to have certain needs dealth with. But he had not seen Sonny make any such efforts. Maybe he should let him have the cabin to himself tonight, for a more personal celebration with the girl.

A smirk formed on Corsos face. There was one way to find out if he would sleep in the lounge tonight. Ask the Ships captain and now, new leader, what he was planning.

"So,you do happen to like women eh?" he teased.

Sonny smiled, a naughty smile this time.

"Dont even try, we are not going to have a discussion of my lack of love life.I am good when it comes to that. Actually, I was thinking she would fancy you more,You are more her type. Maybe I should invite her over so you can get better aquainted" Sonny smiled.

Corso looked at him, all of a sudden very tense.

" How would you know if she would be interested in me, from what I can tell, she has been checking you out for several minutes. Besides,I have not been with a woman since...since Noomi..." Corso choked, as the memories caught up with him.

Sonny looked at him, and now, the playfull smile was replaced by a slightly worried expression.

"What happened to Noomi Corso? Who was she to you?" Sonny asked softly,making Corso look at him.

Those eyes of his, so understanding, and yet, in many ways so naive. They had not seen what his had. The wars, the devestation, or the pain.

"Noomi was my wife Sonny, she was killed..in the catastrophy on Ascaron" he whispered.

Corso did not know what kind of reaction he had expected. Sonny had grown pale now, like he had litterally seen a ghost.

"Im sorry Corso,I didn't know..." Sonny whispered, as he put his hand, the one with the bracelet, on top of his.

"No harm done.. it.. just hurts to talk about it" Corso confessed.

Sonny nodded.

"If you ever want to talk it out Corso, please come see me about it. You will find, we may be a lot more alike than you think" Sonny said, looking at his bracelet. It dawned on Corso why he wore it.

"Your bracelet..It is a gift from someone close to you. Is it a girlfriend, or are you married Sonny? And kept from being with the love of your life?" Corso asked.

He immidiately regretted asking, as he saw the raw pain in Sonnys eyes.

"I was married Corso,to my beautiful wife, Helena. She..she died, in the disaster on Akillian, and with her in death, she took our son to be..."

_I never said neither Corso nor Sonny had an easy past,these painful memories is part of what binds them together, forging a friendship that defies and breaks new ground for what a true friendship really the two will keep growing, to become who we know them as today._


	5. Chapter 5

This was how life at the top of the food chain felt like when you were a pirate. As soon as they had moved into the captains cabin, the real work started. Magnus had left them well off financially for now, but with lots to work out. As soon as the codes in the systems had been set to fit Sonny and his palmprint and retinas, they discovered more about the ones they could trust and not when it came to working with people. Corso knew what it meant, as did it Sonny. Paperwork, lots of it. Corso didn't necessarily like the paperwork that followed, neither did Sonny. It seemed he found a way around it though, by pouring it on to Bennett and Zarind. Corso had silently observed how Sonny had adjusted to his new role. And it had gone a lot smoother than expected.

Still, the very fact that Magnus had escaped and was nowhere to be found, did not make him feel any better about things. It was like having a hidden threat, somewhere out there in dark space, just waiting to attack them. And although Sonny had rightfully won the duel,and was now the leader, that did not mean that he was safe. Far from it. If anything, he was more exposed now than before. For now, they were the only ones that knew, but it was just a matter of time before Technoid would also know. That was when the real test would come. Could Sonny handle the attention this would draw to him without buckling. Sonny however, did not seem worried about it. As a matter of fact, he had decided the pirates needed to ease up a little, it had been tense for a while, with the Magnus situation. Zarind was the one that brought the solution to the table at breakfast time.

"Sonny, why don't you put together a football team? If Technoid can enter the galactik football cup with a team made up of robots, imagine what The pirates can do? We could put on one hell of a show, not to mention, get back at Technoid, on the pitch. It will also destress the men." Zarind suggested.

Corso grumbled.

"And what about the risk for all the pirates involved, or did you forget that simple fact,that we are all wanted men?" he reminded them.

Sonny seemed to consider the option though.

"For starters, we need to form the team. And for that, we need try outs. Only the fastest players will come into consideration, as they will need to make quick get aways after the matches." he said.

Corso looked at him with a grin.

" You just found a new way to mock Technoid Sonny? I hope you got some ideas for how to escape capture as well" he commented.

Sonny just smiled.

"Not exactly, I would call it a gentle hint, as those football droids will never be better than human beings, not on the pitch or nowhere else, they got a far way to travel before they can do that, wich my friend Yarritt Labor, would have confirmed, if he was here. As for get aways, the human mind still conquers a droid any given day" he said.

Corso noticed a slight hesitation in Sonnys voice as he spoke of Labnor. What could have happened to this Yarritt Labnor? it was clearly someone Sonny cared about and appreciated, from the way he spoke of him. On the other side, Corso could see how a team of pirates, would enjoy crushing the said Tin cans of Technoid. And this thought alone, the image of scattered robots on the pitch,made him do something he had not done in a long time.

Corso laughed, making everyone look at him.

"You will be mocking them Sonny, and you know it. You know that is a match even the weakest of teams will win, as they will be playing against a bunch of Tin cans, not to mention, as far as I can see, The pirates are at the same disadvatage as them, given we have no flux. But we make up for it by creative thinking" Corso stated.

Sonny looked at him with a smile.

" All is not what it seems Corso. As for the pirates not having a flux of their own, that information is infact inncorrect. We do have a flux of our own, but we cant use it. The seed of Shiloh is a very strong flux, possibly one of the strongest fluxes in the galaxy as we know it. It is tempting to use that advantage it is,I get it, but if we use it, we may as well put a tracker on every player aboard the ship. Technoid would use the flux to track us down. So, untill we can find a way to avoid that, I will ban all use of it, seeing it as being a security issue we need to deal with." Sonny stated as he finished up his breakfast.

Then, he turned to Corso, and this time, he was clearly feeling happy, and in the mood to tease.

"That must have been the first time I heard you laugh that heartfelt Corso. It is quite refreshing to hear. Someone write down what we need to do to make Corso laugh, he will be in for plenty of that in the time to come." Sonny said with a wink to Corso.

"Glad I could make the start of the day a better one for you all. I will make sure to do it on special occassions" Corso grumbled, as he continued eating.

"Oh No, no more 'Mr Grumpy' today Corso, infact, everyone has the same assignment today. Make Corso laugh, heartfelt and as often as possible" Sonny ordered, as he put his plate in the sink of the galley, preparing for the days work load.

Corso shot him a glare meant to look crossed.

"You wouldn't dare Sonny Blackbones, I might be very cranky at the end,and you share a cabin with me, remember" Corso tried, putting on a threatening voice.

Sonny grinned.

"Try me" he grinned...

* * *

He had been serious as Corso found out. If he was ever going to do a dare with Sonny again, he would have to watch the details of what he said Corso reminded himself. Not only had the pirates made him laugh heartfelt all week, clearly Sonnys orders had been extended to last longer, and he was not notified. And the change in his mood had made the others relax more around him, wich was all well and good, he actually liked it, but Sonny took it even further than that. He knew Corso hated the paperwork that followed his role as his right hand man, so, Sonny offered Corso the chance to get out of it for a week, by having another assistant take care of it. But off course,there was a catch.

"Forget it Sonny, I am not doing the cooking. You will have the entire crew suffer food poisoning from me doing it. Use a droid instead." Corso said horrified when Sonny suggested he work in the Galley for a few days.

"I'll do the dishes,fine, but it stops there, no cooking." Corso said

That did not stop Sonny from finding additional work for him. Corso saw how he had looked around.

"Well, the Ship do need to be cleaned. And I leave that job to you, organize the needed men, and have her cleaned, Magnus was a bit lax on that, it is going to change, I like things clean around me." Sonny said.

Corso looked at him like Sonny like he had all of a sudden turned into a cyclops.

"Did you hit your head or something Sonny? Cause the way you are acting right now, I swear you must have a concussion. You are asking us all to scrub The Black Manta down. " Corso said, slightly annoyed.

He could not possibly mean that he was going to do house cleaning, could he? But Sonny had an expression of humour on his face, making it hard to decide if he was joking or not. Then he gave Corso the answer.

"Nope,I am serious. And by the way, I am not asking. Consider this assignment an order" he said.

"Not even my former commanders gave orders that way, you really need to work on your authority Captain!" Corso smirked.

"How is this then? That is an order!" Sonny said, a bit sharper.

Corso looked at him.

"You are not kidding, are you?" he asked, somewhat insecure now.

Sonny nodded.

"No, I wasn't. It's an order Corso. I will be out, with Zarind, getting the try outs for the football team taken care off, while you and Bennett and the ones not trying out clean the ship."

Corso saluted him, as Sonny made ready to go. As Sonny approached the door, he stopped. A small smirk formed on his face.

" One last thing Corso, all 'house maids' wear an apron, while they work. You will find yours on your bed. Wear it!, that way you wont get your coat dirty, and save yourself laundryservice afterwards. See you later" he chuckled, as he quickly exited the ship, to escape Corsos stream of chissian swear words...

* * *

"We got a team ready, I will put in the request to be recognized as a team by the league, and ask for immunity in the locker room and the pitch, that is the best poosible deal available to us right now." Sonny said as they sat down hours later, to eat dinner.

Bennett had managed to cook up a soup for them all,and given he was a good hacker,he was not a good cook. But food was food, and the pirates chowed down,the best they could.

"So, what is step two then?" Corso wondered.

"Step two, is getting official reccognition by the League,and also,an agreement of immunity, in the locker room and on the pitch. The players are on the pitch to fight for the ball, not running from Technoid. I will suggest a friendly match against the Technodroids V3s, simply to have the boys test their skills on the pitch, and because,any chance of giving Technoid a crushing defeat, would make the pirates morale raise too, perfect for winding down after all the stuff with Magnus" Sonny explained with a smile.

Zarind found it amusing.

"Will it be televised?" he asked.

"Yes,but not from the stadium in the lair. Have a second stadium ready for the home pitch matches" Sonny ordered.

"Where do you want it put up?" Zarind asked.

Sonny seemed to think for a moment.

" It needs to be easy to escape, should Technoid follow us. Wich they surely place with the most possible exit routes, is the Shiloh Nebula. But just the same, make the Pirates home stadium one that can be concealed. And movable. No match will be held in the same place. By doing this, we are sure to catch Technoids attention, for better or worse. We better be ready to make quick escapes in the future too, as we wont be less chased as players." he said.

"As long as you stay in hiding Sonny,it wont be a problem. Technoid has one ojective when it comes to the pirates as an organization. And you know damn well, they will be looking for you during the match. Once they find out that you are in charge now and not Magnus, expect the bounty to increase, and they will show your poster on all Technoid commericals." said Corso, slightly concerned.

He preferred Technoid staying as far away as possible. Sonny smirked at him as he continued to eat his dinner.

"Corso, we must be a bit polite to our guests right? I 'll be there, where they wont expect to find me. Wich is in plain sight. They will expect me to hide in the bleachers, not on the pitch." Sonny replied matter of factly.

Corso looked at him.

" How do you plan to pull that off Sonny? The Technodroids will give chase the minute they spot you. I am supposed to keep you from getting captured or worse, killed on sight. What you suggest is insanity. And makes my job all that more difficult." Corso tried.

Sonny was not bothered.

"Relax Corso. With the new pirates football uniforms, They won't reccognize me at all. As I will be playing on the pitch, along with the team"...

* * *

So far so good. Getting reccognized by the League had been easy, and after having explained the pirates situation as wanted men, Sonny had gotten an agreement of immunity in the locker room and on the pitch. Corso had been reluctant when Sonny had asked him to sit in the coaches pod along with Bennett.

"I don't like this Sonny. The Coaches pod is a place where we don't have an immunity agreement for. I'd rather take the risk by sitting in the bleachers. I stand a better chance of escape from there, should something go wrong" he argued.

Sonny agreed.

"We will use holograms in the pod then. They are sure to come looking for us there. And I am not going to put anyone in danger. Thanks for reminding me just how dangerous the pod is" he smiled.

"That is part of my job" Corso grinned...

* * *

Here they were, ready for their first friendly match. Sonny had dressed in a pirates uniform today, instead of his usual clothes. Corso saw how they all had a special hood, that would mask their eyes, and chin. The places Technoid would be sure to look for anything to identify the players by. It was rumoured, even the head of Technoid, Duke Maddox, would be present, along with a league representative. Needless to say, this would not fill up the stadium stands, as the pirates was very weary, and kept their distance to anything that wreaked of Duke Maddox, no one wanted to be close to him. That is, unless you were to steal from him. A representative for Arcadia News was also present, to send live from the match. All interview requests had been declined. Ordered by the pirates chief.

And now, the speculations as to why, was flying high. Had something happened within the pirates ranks that they tried to keep hidden from the Galaxy?

And where had the idea of a football team come from, given they had never been interested in that before. And who made up the Pirates football team? Who were the lucky or unlucky seven chosen for this job? Well, they were about to find out.

"We are ready to go Sonny" Corso reported from the stands.

"Ok, are the football droids on the pitch yet?" came from Sonny.

"I got a visual on them, and on Maddox,'Player X'" Corso reported.

Sonny had deliberately, for this first ever, for the pirates vs Technodroid V3 match, chosen to name his players by number, not name, as this would conceal their identities from the meadia. This would possibly be changed later, when the players felt more comfortable with being in the spotlight. Sonny would play in the position as the right midfielder. Due to his past, The pirates had found out that Sonny had played defensive back while working for Technoid, and fearing they would reccognize him, even in his uniform, if he played that position, they had convinced Sonny to play in another position. Sonny had agreed, as to him, it was the here and now that mattered. Corso had pulled his hood around his face, to try to hide. Hologram projectors had been placed in the stands and the coaches pod for the pirates, to confuse Duke Maddox and his men, should they come for them. Sonny had made sure a smokescreen on the pitch would conceal the pirate escape. All players had been told to leave nothing in the locker room, in case the agreement was breeched by Technoid, wich was not unlikely to happen.

There, the pirates players took to the pitch. Corso had to look for the number on the jersey to find Sonny. There, jersey number 10, figured that was why he chose the codename Player X.

The pirates took their position. As the ball was in play, it soon became clear, this was not a match, not really. It was a massacre. And The pirates was doing the slaughtering. The football droids could barely keep up the speed of the pirates, who focused on a style based in fair play. Soon, it was Technodroids nill, pirates five.

And Duke Maddox was not one bit pleased. Wich was predictable.

" Arrest the entire team, and also, the ones in the coaches pod" he ordered.

"Sonny, time to exit the stadium. You will have company in a matter of seconds" Corso adviced.

"Already way ahead of you Corso, they will only find holograms, everywhere" Sonny laughed softly in his earpiece.

Corso shook his head.

"Get a move on, we are leaving, and I dont think you will find Duke Maddox will invite you for dinner" he joked.

"Meet us outside the stadium Corso, we are on our way out." sounded the cheerful response.

Corso chuckled. That boss of his was something else. He and Bennett made their way out, silently...

* * *

On the outside, Sonny and the team was waiting.

"What took you so long, you stop for a drink at the nearest bar to celebrate our teams first victory?" he joked as he saw them.

"Had to take the long way, to avoid the droids headed to the pod, and to think you asked me to be up there" Corso shrugged.

That did not put a damper on Sonnys moods. He took off the head gear.

And that turned out to be a mistake.

" You are all under arrest" sounded a robotic voice behind them.

Corso clenched fists, This was not the kind of celebration he had planned. Sonny had gone back to back with him, and since he was in a uniform,his identity as a player was exposed. Duke Maddox approached him.

"I figured you would not stay away forever Sonny. You always liked football in one way or another. And from recent intel,I see you have gotten yourself a promotion within the pirates ranks". He commented dryly.

Sonny was not impressed, and he was looking for a way out.

"And I suppose you came here to celebrate just that, or did you have something else in mind,Your Excellency?" he said, and the last words, he emphasised.

Duke Maddox walked closer.

"You have information, on a project that belongs to Technoid Sonny. And you will return to Technoid, to complete the synthetic flux for the football droids" he commanded.

Sonny smirked.

"Never,When I left, I left for good" he informed.

Duke Maddox sighed.

"Fine, Seize him! but dont harm him." he said and pointed to Sonny.

Corso was angry. More at Technoid than at Sonny. And they were backing up.

Out of the blue, two robots were pulled aside.

"Forgot the invitations,but get a move on,I dont like this party" said Bennett.

Sonny and Corso acted on pure instinct. And bolted through the opening. They set course for The Black Manta all of them.

The droids were in pursuit, shooting at them. Corso had pulled his own laser, and pushed Sonny in front of him, as they ran for the ship. Sonny was already on his transmitter.

"Be ready for a quick take off, we got some uninvited guests on our tail" he informed.

As they could see the ship, they saw they had to make a jump, Sonny was already in the air, grabbing the door of the loading dock,and pulled himself up, Bennett was next. That too went well. Corso saw the shrinking distance to the droids.

"Corso, jump!" Sonny yelled.

That woke Corso from the haze. He jumped, and missed the loading ramp by a few inches.

"CORSO!"

He heard Sonny yell, in panic, as he fell towards the ground...


	6. Chapter 6

Corso hit the ground with a thud, and was quickly surrounded by the Technodroids.

"Corso!" Sonny yelled again from the Black Manta. He was about ready to jump of the ramp to come to his aid. The only thing that prevented him from doing so, was Zarind and Bennett holding him by the arms. Corso slowly rose to his feet, and brushed off the dust. The he looked at the hovering ship, just out of range from the lasers for now, but if Sonny did something stupid, and got them closer, as it seemed was his aim...Corso had to prevent that he was falling into their hands, as he suspected Sonny did not much care for his own safety. his aim was to keep everyone else safe.

"Get out of here! I'll be fine,just go Sonny, You are too valuable to us to be caught, and I bet my last standard credit that you are the one they are out to get. I'll manage, just don't get caught yourself Sonny, then we are really done for. Now, get him to safety!" Corso yelled.

Sonny seemed to get it. He stopped fighting Zarind and Bennett, as a hail of lasers were aimed at The Black Manta, wich closed the hatch and took off.

Corso smiled as he saw that.

"That's right, get him to safety.I'll be fine. They wont find him through me." said Corso, as he turned towards the furious Duke Maddox.

"Call the ship back!" The furious Duke ordered.

"No can do. The pirate leader is on protocol is in place then. You won't catch him now." Corso smirked, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"I am not interested in Magnus Blade. I am looking to have my best scientist back. If he wont come willingly, I will have to resort to force." Duke Maddox informed.

This made Corso smirk even more.

"Oh boy, your information on us must be seriously outdated then. Magnus Blade has been replaced, and exiled. He is not our leader any more. Someone far better has taken over, prepare that the pirates will be going through serious changes." Corso could not help but grin when he said that.

If this was the level of updated information Technoid had, they would be able to strike at them blindfolded. Sonny would get a good laugh from hearing this.

Duke Maddox looked at him. It seemed to dawn on him that Corso was not joking.

"Who is the new leader then, if Magnus Blade is out of the picture?Answer me!" he thundered.

Corso smirked even wider.

"His name is Sonny Blackbones, and I believe, you just got yourself into a heap of trouble"...

* * *

On board the Black Manta, Sonny was having a hard time calming down. Corso falling to the ground had nearly made his heart stop, and then the way he ordered them to leave, assuring them he would be fine... Sonny was far from sure that so would be the case. He knew Technoids ways, from personal experience. And he hoped Corso could hang in there till he could organize a rescue. His men detected his stress, and tried to make him calm down.

"Relax Sonny, we won't find Corso any faster if you get stressed out like this" said Bennett, as he tried to calm his friend and now Boss, down.

Zarind agreed.

"We have to wait, till Corso angulates his safety beacon. It is standard pirate equipment, everyone has to carry one." he reminded Sonny.

Sonny closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths, to calm himself.

"You're right..I'm Sorry, its just that..." Sonny tried.

Zarind nodded. They all knew how close Sonny were with Corso, more than close enough for certain rumours to go around about them. Wheter it could be counted as truth or not, depended on your definition of things. And the pirates had their own definitions for sure. Sonny was letting worry for his best friend get to him, for the first time, he was faced with the decisions that Magnus once made, for the very first time, and Sonny was not Magnus. Magnus would cold heartedly abandon his friends if need be, to save his own hide. Sonny Blackbones, would not go that route. But right now,he needed someone to cut through the chaos inside his head.

"You're worried for him, is that it?"he asked with compassion.

Sonny didn't answer, the silence spoke volumes. Then, to take his mind off the worst, and make forward movement, Sonny walked over to the panel on the platform assigned to the captain, and pulled up the safety beacons list. Since his own mishap a year earlier, the beacons had been overhauled, and could now be remotely activated, as a safety feature to keep other pirates from suffering the same fate as himself. Sonny punched in his own master code, wich being the leader of the pirates had given him. As soon as all the many safety beacons came up on screen, he sought the one assigned to Corso.

" remote Activate safety beacon assigned to Corso" he commanded. There was a series of lights that turned on, and Sonny punched in the needed code to confirm his identity.

He studied the screen for a little while,Corsos beacon was on the move, had been for hours, while they had followed on safe distance and in stealth mode. Sonny had ordered this to be done until the beacon was stationary. Now, it seemed to be the case.

"If they hurt him, I'll personally see to it that Duke Maddox is going to loose his beauty sleep. He and his people has plenty of that on their conscience as it is. But hurting one of my men will be on the list of things they will regret, thats a promise" he said between gritting teeths.

"Where to Sonny?" Bennett asked from the flight controls.

Sonny looked up. There was a fierce fire in his hazel eyes. This did not bode well for Technoid.

"Genesis Stadium. That 's where they took him. And Bennett, supersonic speed. I know Technoids ways all too well. Let's make Corsos visit as short as possible"...

* * *

Corso wiped the blood from his face. Hah, bunch of light weighters these droids, he ate the likes of these ones for breakfast at The Ring. He could almost imagine Afra looking at this scene with a slight head shake. If he thought of it, he could see her smirk, letting him know he was growing slow, and he was not the fighter she knew him as if he let them rough him up this easily. The champion who could be cold as ice, not giving a damn about anything.

"Is that the best you got to offer? This is starting to get boring, and I got better things to do than humour your asses. Get to the point of the matter will you?" he said as he sat back up.

He would have a varied collection of bruises tomorrow, but he had experienced worse. You didn 't fight actively in the flux wars and think this was bad. He had been through worse, far worse. If they planned to break him, they had to do a whole lot better than this. It seemed Duke Maddox was not amused with his answers.

"Where is Sonny Blackbones and his men hiding?" Duke Maddox asked.

Corso grinned.

"You really want to hear it? He's hiding in your ass, and frankly, that one is big enough to hide quite a lot. Forget about chasing him down, Sonnys safe whereever they are, unless he want to be found, you will not even know where to look. Wich you should know by now." Corso taunted.

That earned him a punch straight in the face. Corso could not help letting some military humour let through. It would hurt, but he felt like taking his frustration with the situation out like this.

"Thank you Sir, may I have another?" he asked, while again wiping the blood from under his nose.

Duke Maddox realised he would get nowhere with this one.

"Book him, and make sure we have updates info on all of them, especially this new pirate leader, Sonny Blackbones. If possible, have him taken alive. Technoid invested a lot in his education. If at all possible, we can convince him to come back, once we get to talk to him." he ordered.

Corso didn't feel good about this. He had seen how Sonnys current wanted poster looked. it looked nothing like him. The image was that of Professor I'Son, and Sonny did look different from who he used to be back then. with an outdated picture, Technoid really had no way to alert the public to Sonnys current appearance, wich still allowed him to move around freely. One of the few good things Magnus had done before he was exiled. If he could buy Sonny and the others some time.. Corso knew it was a risk, but he felt in that mood. The fall from the ramp made all his cynicism come out.

"Yeah thats right, I have seen just how well you treat your had a nice collection of scars, courtessy of Technoid as he put it, or is it normal for the likes of your operatives cause nerve damage to your employees once they hesitate to carry out your bidding?I happen to know for a fact that one of your staff did that to Sonny." Corso growled.

There, that caught the attention of old fatso Maddox.

"What's your point pirate? You dont know his past, or wheter or not he brought those things on himself." Duke Maddox stated, leaning over the table, trying to look threatening.

Corso smirked. If this was the standard Technoid interrogation teqnique, he had nothing to worry about. Soldiers from Chissia could withstand this for hours on end, and not even break a sweat. And it so happened, he had aced the interrogation training in his group.

"The name is Corso. And second, you won't find Sonny unless he wants to talk to latter I find very unlikely to happen. And if so happens, it is a rather safe bet, he will find you first. You won't see it coming. My personal opinion is, whatever happens from now on,and whatever moves Sonny and the others will make, you asked for it. If you treat your staff as human beings rather than someone you can exploit, maybe there would be some circumstances that brings things in your favour. But I would not bet on Sonny forgetting that anytime soon. You made yourself a powerful enemy in him." he said.

Duke Maddox looked angrily at him.

"How would you even know anything about his past with us? Eve if he changed his name, Sonny is still under a code of silence. He can't speak to you or anyone outside of Technoid, about anything he worked on while here. That would give grounds for legal pursiut and another reason to imprison him." Duke Maddox informed him coldly.

Corso smirked. This angle would work to gain more intel on Sonnys past, if he played his cards right.

"Well, it seems he and Yarritt Labnor has a lot going on. How would you know if Sonny hasnt already spilt the beans, maybe we know all about what happened back then." he implied.

A lie off course, but for the sake of gathering intel, he was willing to risk it. It had the desired effect.

"Impossible, both Labnor and Sonny disappeared after what happened on Akillian. If not, they both would have been jailed for the trouble they caused" The Duke said, seemingly having forgotten he was in the room.

Corso sucked up the information. That was interesting news. Sonny had not directly put himself at Akillian during the catastrophy that glaciated the planet, but here Technoid implied that he had been there, and it was possible, he knew the reason why the explosion that glaciated the planet had happened. He decided to keep digging.

"And here I thought it was just the normal Technoid incompetance that led to that disaster. Would not surprise me if you try to scapegoat some former employee, for what happened there. We are quite used to that. " he said.

Duke Maddox looked at him.

"Sonny and Labnor stole a top secret project from us, and it so happens, we want it back. We dont know where Labnor has gone off to, or if he is even alive, like you imply. If he is alive, that is only giving more reason for us to hunt down Sonny, and arrest him." Duke Maddox said.

Corso remained the same,seemingly unimpressed self as he had shown till now.

"Sounds to me, they are both guilty of a crime from what you say. But to my knowledge, you are only hunting Sonny down, not Labnor. Why is that really, you werent able to erase his memory, like so many others? or is Sonny the one that knows most, and posing the biggest threat to you? You are gonna be looking over your shoulder for years if thats the case. Sonny can wait forever untill he strikes, but when he does, he is going to make sure you know its his doing. If Magnus was a problem for you, expect Sonny to become your biggest headache to date." Corso taunted.

The droid next to him got aggitated with that comment, and slammed him against the wall, holding a choke hold. Corso made use of his military training, and tightened all the muscles in his throat, to make sure he could breathe. Ok, bad idea. He was let go off and sat down on a chair again.

"Stay safe Sonny, send someone else for the rescue, but in Shilohs name, stay away from here, at least untill you can explain a few things for me"...

* * *

In the cover of dark,Sonny, Zarind and Bennett had snuck up on the Technoid building. Sonny had put on special goggles, a hood and gloves to avoid detection. The same went for the other two pirates. Sonny checked the map he had with him.

"It is the same layout as before, Technoid does not like changes, that is for cure. But this time, that is an advantage, it makes this mission quicker." he muttered.

Then, he pulled up an overlay, to find out where in the building Corso was held. As he noticed, he grinned.

"Thank you for the invitation Your Excellency, We'll handle it from here. Maybe we will talk next time." he said.

The pirates made their way to the area the safety beacon indicated as quickly as they could. But now, Sonny expected trouble to appear.. He moved very carefully. The way to open the door to this level, was by palm print. Sonny smirked when he saw that. That was not how he was going to play it, as he had his palm print modified to cover his tracks. A small explosive charge took care of it.

"Let's crash the party, uninvited" he told his men.

The pirate opened the door to the cell. Corso was sitting in the dark, back against the wall. Bruised and bloddied from the looks, chained to the wall, but alive. he looked up as Sonny and the others entered. Sonny placed a finger over his lips to signal for whisper only.

"About time you made it here, I was starting to get bored" he commented, as Sonny cut the chain that bound him to the wall with a laser torch he had brought with him.

"Sorry, The invitation got lost. I hope you don't mind us showing up without it." Sonny joked.

Corso grinned as Sonny helped him up. "I prefer a party with a good beer or three, possibly something stronger, and all they serve here is water and cat pee. I prefeer Shiloh to this." he said.

Sonny nodded, but Corso noticed his grin under the hood.

"Bennett, tell our taxi to be ready, we're out of here." he ordered.

Sonny exited through the door first, Corso in tow. Sonny had to have been here before as he seemed to know this building like the back of his hand. They walked through several hallways, and finally, Sonny had enough of the good and goggles, as they got warm to wear over time, and removed them.

"Thats better." he said.

It turned out, this was speaking too soon. Corso heard a whirling sound, from above their heads, and looked up. Just their rotten luck. A camera droid. And it was aimimg at Sonny, the only purpose for that would not be good for them.

"We've been spotted. Sonny, get behind me! Dont let yourself get photographed." he yelled, and yanked Sonnys arm, to get him out of view.

The camera was taking 4D images, meant for new wanted posters. As of now, Technoid did not have any updated pictures of Sonny. but that seemed to not be the case for much longer. Corso knew this would go for himself, Bennett and Zarind as well. He aimed at the robotic camera, seeking to take it out. Sonny tried to block the view, but it seemed he was too late. The drone took several pictures, if they werent good enough on their own, they would use the images to make a 4D image of him for the poster.

"Get out of here, and hurry up!" Sonny yelled as Zarind managed to disable the drone. But they had no more time to disable it. Sonny ordered them all out, and in a hurry. He did not seem to care about the photoes, wich would now compromise him. There would be no walking around anywhere now, without a hood. All because he had taken that fall off the loading ramp.

"Corso, come on" Sonny ushered him into their escape pod, and they took off...

* * *

Sonny looked at Corsos bruised face, as they had reached the ship.

"Looks like they did quite a number on you Corso, lets get you taken care of, in the infirmary. After that, I will need a full report on what happened in the Technoid building" he said silently.

Corso shrugged.

"More like I did it to myself actually. The idiots are too stupid to have an intelligent conversation with. I couldnt help myself. Seems we may need to look into something that they accuse you of later." he explained as Sonny carefully cleaned the wounds and put on band aids where it was needed.

"Don't tell me, you ran the old fashioned military potty mouth again? They would not know humor if it bit them." Sonny was clearly amused.

"How would you know anything about that Sonny? You don't strike me as the type to have done military service. Too nerdy." Corso concluded.

"Oh, I did my time in the military,I just don't speak of the past. Maybe things had taken a different turn if I had stayed there." Sonny concluded.

Corso grinned.

"Let me guess. You were a medic?That is about the only ones that gets away with not using firearms. Easy conclusion, since you clearly hate it" Corso said, showing his trail of thougts to his best friend.

Sonny chuckled.

"Now you are guessing, based on the fact that I don't like using guns. But no, I was not a medic. I do have medical knowledge, part of my studies as a professor, in the past, mandatory things really. But I did not have medical knowledge during my time in the military" Sonny said, and clearly, he found this quite entertaining.

"Then, what division were you in? you dont get out of weapons training in most of them, only a few select ones." Corso insisted on knowing.

Having some knowledge about where he had served, would tell him more about his skill set wich could come in handy in his training.

"I was a pilot Corso, in the air force. I do know how to handle weaponry, I just choose not to use it." Sonny informed.

Wow, that explained the crazy flight patterns he would use to make a quick escape. A fighter pilot like Sonny would have been, would get out of weapons training simply by operating the speedy jets. Now things made sense to him.

"Let me guess, you did not serve during the flux wars?"he asked.

Sonny nodded. And then, he took the only chair in the room, and sat down.

" Being 'discovered' by Technoids scouts, in my case, General Bleylock, was in some regard, a blessing in disguise. It had me pulled from the military, and into what I really loved doing, wich was science and research. I could have had a good career in either direction at that time, but the love of science was too strong a temptation for a young scientist in his early twenties. And it saved me from active duty in the wars" Sonny said as he put away the bandaides they had used after patching Corso up.

Corso could see a small smile on his face when he thought about that.

"Must have been more than a hobby, since you decided to educate yourself to become a scientist. And I am glad it pulled you out before you saw some of the same things I did. War.. it is never pretty, no matter what form it takes" he said.

Sonny nodded.

"Thats true, I am seeing it as a blessing myself. I am not sure I could stomach it. And it was. I had a burning desire to create something that would make the galaxy a better place, create medicines maybe, and other things, that would help save lives. It turned out,I was wrong about Technoid helping anyone, at least not to make it better for the people in the galaxy. All Technoid did, to all of us that worked at the Akillian plant, was use what was created by dedicated scientists, best there was, to do good as weapons that would preserve peace, and then, Technoid used it to cause pain and hurt instead. Many of us were disgruntled over it, but not in a position do do something. You know the drill by now, you have heard the I had known then, I would have never taken their offer,never taken his offer..." Sonny said, the last words barely audible.

Corso nodded. Sounded like there was a technoid operative Sonny had a particular problem with. But now, it was not the right moment to talk it over.

"The galaxy needs more people like you Sonny, there is far too much death,and devestation. Lord knows I saw enough, on Ascaron, before the catastrophy, before the weapons test that changed everything..." Corsos voice was a whisper.

Sonny noticed how his friend slumped slightly forwards, like this was memories from his past, coming back to haunt him. He knew a thing or two about that himself. Sonny considered wheter or not to ask what Corso had been interrogated about at Technoid, so the pirates could make preparation, in case Technoid were on their tail for now, it did not feel like the right moment. Carefully, not to trigger any more bad memories, Sonny took hold of Corsos arms. And that was when he noticed. A tear, rolling down Corsos cheek.

"Corso?" his voice was soft.

Corso started shaking.

"I couldn't save her, couldn't save any of them..If I only could rewind the time and stop those events from taking place.." he whispered.

Sonny felt like his heart was torn open when he heard his friend. Whatever Corso was carrying inside, this was a deep seated trauma, and it was breaking way to the surface. What Corso needed,more than ever, was a friend that would he spoke again.

"The smoke, the screams, all those dismembered bodies, they were just kids, just kids..." he whispered.

Sonny did not know what to say. And for some reason, he felt strongly this was one of those times, Corso did not need words. He needed human contact. And he was going to provide it. Carefully, Sonny pulled Corsos head to his own chest, embracing his friend.

"I'm here Corso.I got you, we will get through this." Sonny repeated in a whispering voice.

"I failed, couldn't get them out of the hospital.."Corso muttered silently, lost in what seemed like deep and clearly not pleasant memories.

"Corso, who do you mean by 'them'?" Sonny asked softly.

This was not about the flux wars,it was about something else, and he had the distinct feeling, deeply personal to Corso. Maybe now, he would get a little glimpse into his friends past, like he had on the celebration of him being the new chief. Corso choked a sob, and it felt like it came from deep deep inside.

" My wife, and..my only child, Kimberly. She was the reason I enrolled in the military. I lost my innocent outlook on the galaxy when I enrolled in the military, all done to save my daughter...should have known, with my rotten luck, I would fail at that too." he said.

"Corso, you are not to blame for the war. To my knowledge, Technoid was a major player in providing the supplies for that war. I was not close to the front, but I fought it, through other ways." Sonny said silently as he gently embraced Corso.

Corso carefully freed himself. And now, he had hardened.

"Sonny, were any of you Technoid scientists, who worked under General Bleylock aware of how your inventions were used?" he asked.

Sonny looked at him, it occurred to him,Corso knew something he did not and it did not sound like good news.

"No,we were kept in the dark Corso, always assured that our research was used to help. I know this is not the truth though." he admitted.

Corso looked at him.

"Well, then you have all been taken greatly advantage of. General Bleylock sent in a new type of droids, towards a small platoon, we were to take out a Technoid operated compound. We were attacked. And we were slaughtered, the field was covered in red blood Sonny." he said.

Sonny could not hide the shock.

"The explosion of Ascaron, it was a set up?" he asked.

Corso nodded.

"Everyone was killed, every single one, to hide their tracks, to hide a genocide, on a planet that would not submit to a new ruler. That is, all but one.. one sole survivor." Corso whispered.

Sonny nodded.

"I can guess who the survivor is , we need to record your story with as much detail as , we will know, what really happened to Ascaron, If you are the only one that knows the facts, you just stepped into being in just as much danger as I am. A loose end that can expose this, is dangerous to have running freely." Sonny said silently.

Corso could not speak, instead, he pulled Sonny into a hug, and let the sore emotions take over. Sonny laid his arms tightly around Corso, as he felt shivers through his friends body from the sobs that had to come out. He had held it in for so, so long.

"We will find the truth of the matter Corso, I promise. If it is the last thing I do, I will bring you closure on this"...

...


	7. Chapter 7

He had been right. The photoes of Sonny, taken by the drone, had been used to compose a new image of him on the wanted poster. It had gotten images of him from all angles, and with some photo shopping, the image of him was created and put on the poster. Sonny only gave it a few seconds of look, before he made it clear, he did not think it looked like him at all. Besides, he did not smile like that. The new wanted poster did not stop the pirates raids against Technoid. If anything, they increased. As time passed, the pirates started to prosper too. At first, it was small, barely visible to the naked eye, but the more skilled they all got, and the more daring the raids Sonny planned on got, the more successful the raids became. One rule was strictly enforced however. The pirates only targeted Technoid ships, and convoys. Other ships travelled safely through their territory, but if you were from Technoid,the pirates would target you. Sonny had developed a system of escape paths, so the pirates could easily get away from being tailed after the raids. Off course, this made Duke Maddox furious, and he had now put Sonnys new wanted poster up for all commercials that had anything to do with Technoid. Corso felt a bit uneasy at first, knowing it made people everywhere look for Sonny. Simply to collect on the bounty for his capture. But when Corso worried about it, Sonny seemed to not have a care in the world. It came with the territory. The pirates had also entered the galactik football cup,but was soon eliminated by amazing teams, like the Lightnings. Corso had to admit, they were a great team. A bit of an ego trip at their star striker, Warren, but he seemed to calm down now. Normally, Corso was more of a book person than a football person himself, but since Sonny had installed big screens aboard the ship, it was hard not to get curious as to what was going on. One thing had changed in the Pirates Football team though,after Corso begging Sonny to consider his security. A young man, Stevens, had replaced Sonny on the pitch. The pirates knew that Technoid knew what jersey number Sonny had played under, and that they would strike, at any chance they got, to get their hands on him. That had led to Sonny making the call to pull out of playing on the pitch, and let another player take his place. But during practice, inside the hidden Shiloh city, Sonny would still participate, to stay fit as he put it.

Corso had continued his practice with the massages for Sonnys back too. Sonny had gotten used to the treatment by now, and realxed a lot faster when Corso started the work. At times, he even fell asleep during the massage. Wich was all well and good as Corso saw it. But they had still not found time to sit down and and do the trade they had agreed on. And it bothered Corso. Even if Sonny had assured him, the injury was only through the layers of skin, and did not effect the muscles in any capacity, Corso had a hard time believing it. There was something Sonny was holding about how he got this injury. Both of them held back, as a matter of fact. Corso decided, he needed to take action, to have this cleared up. He put down the book he was reading, about the flux wars. Why he tortured himself this way, he could not explain. He chose to call it a side effect of the war, for now. He got up, and headed to the ships bridge. He was determined to end this delay right now.

Sonny was studying the new routes Technoid had set up. A measure to avoid pirate territory for sure. Not that it would help. Sonny had no shame in leaving his own territory if it meant they could get their hands of merchandise that would fetch a good price on the black market. Their security systems was low tech compared to the pirates, so even someone with little skill could break in and get the wanted information. But the more skilled hackers left no trace of the break in. And Sonny had been trained by the best hackers they had, and could do this with great ease. As he searched for the new routes, to study them and come up with escape routes, Sonny came to spot a file in Technoids system.A face he knew well. " Yarritt Labnor.. I wonder what happened to you old buddy" he said silently.

"Sonny!". The sound of Corsos voice made him look up.

"Had a good rest Corso?" he smiled softly as he saw his right hand man approach him.

Corso smiled back. "You could have woken me up you know, two hands works better than one set on this job." he commented.

"It also can cause chaos. I thought you needed the rest, your night terrors has picked up lately." Sonny said as he looked him in the eyes.

Corso knew what he meant.

"I..I think we may need to have that trade of information we agreed upon. My anger issues and what triggers it, for your injury and who the bastard that did it is or was" Corso looked at Sonny with a plead in his eyes.

Sonny nodded. As Corso looked at him, he saw Sonnys eyes grow dark, with a deep fury, he was surprised he didn't see flames at the same time. It took a lot to really anger Sonny, but when his fury rose, it was always tied to the past and most spesifically, Technoid. And one name, a name he had heard mentioned before, kept coming up and also had the same effect on Sonny. General Bleylock. Corso more sensed than actually saw that Sonny hated him. And that hate ran deep. But what he did not know, was what caused that hate.

Sonny looked at him, he seemed to have made up his mind.

" I think now is as good a time as any to adress it. We still got a few hours till we reach our destination" he said.

" Where are we headed?" Corso asked.

"The Obia Moon. We have a contact there, that has set us up with some new merchandise, it will improve the stealth function of the ship. We got a good deal. Best make haste so we get what we put in time to secure" Sonny said, and signalled for Zarind and Bennett to take over. He had an agreement to uphold.

As he left, Zarind and Bennett was alone on the ships brigde.

"You know what Corso wanted to speak to Sonny about?" Bennett asked, slightly puzzled.

Zarind had a sad look in his otherwise happy eyes.

"Things of the past, and you can be sure of one thing, this will open pandoras box, for the both of them..."

* * *

As they reached the cabin, Sonny closed and locked the door, before he let out a heavy sigh, no turning away and running now. Corso could tell he dreaded speaking of this. But whatever ghosts it held for his best friend, he still had to know to be able to understand what he was up against. Even if Sonny said the damage was minor, Corso had noticed the maybe, but even skin had neveres, and Sonny clearly had all connection to those nerves cut or severely injured. This was not an injury that occurred to this level, after just one was usually the result of repeated mistreatments. He was no doctor, by all means, and with his education, Sonny was a lot closer to a fully trained doctor than him, but being in active war duty, you had to learn how to care for your wounded men. Often with serious injuries. And this injury Sonny had..He could not put his finger on it, but he had seen it somewhere before. But where? Sometimes his memory failed him. He had blamed it on taking the many brutal beatings in The ring, knowing full well, there was a trauma condition named post traumatic stress disorder. And it was more than likely, with all he had seen, that he had a touch of it. Oh, who was he kidding? He had it, and not the light version of it. He was cut from his trail of thought, as Sonny spoke.

" Where do you want to start Corso?." he asked.

Sonny seemed slightly tense now. And that made Corso decide his next step.

."First, take off your jacket and t shirt, then your boots, and second, lie down on your stomach over at your bed.."Corso said.

Corso sighed as he saw the confusion in Sonnys usually warm hazel eyes.

."I can tell this is not a pleasurable memory you will bring up Sonny, you tensed up the minute I asked to do the trade. So, before we get into it, I am going to relax you some, by giving you a good massage. And,I will also examine your lower back while I am at it, if it is so that the damage only pierced the three layers of skin, you should feel some of the things I will do to you. Not to hurt, but to make sure the muscles are not injured in any form. Does this sound ok to you?" he asked, looking at his friend for any clues, as to what was going on inside his head.

Sonny nodded silently, and did as he had asked him. Corso silently watched him undress. Whoever the doctor Magnus had hired to work on Sonnys injury was, he knew his trade. The new layer of skin did not show any damage at all, the only way to know, was if you knew how nerves worked, and you would actually be able to physically touch the injured area. Corso watched as Sonny laid down, as he had told him. Corso took the new herbal mix, a mix he had developed especially for Sonnys injury from his own nightstand, and gave it a small shake. This would activate the slow heat activators he had put in, and help Sonny relax faster. Corso had taken of his own jacket, and his gloves,wearing only his pants and the tank top, while Sonny wore nothing but his signature black pants. Corso carefully took the mix in his hands, and started the work. As his hands touched Sonny lightly, Corso could feel how the very thought of this conversation affected Sonny. He was really tense today. Corso applied a little more pressure to Sonnys neck, waiting for the heating effect the new salve would have on Sonny. Before long, he could feel the tension start to give way, and Sonny sighed softly, as he gradually began to relax. Corso smiled as he silently continued to work on his friends shoulders, and back. Slowly, he worked his way down, to the said lower back. Sonny felt relaxed now, having placed his head on his right arm, turning slightly, so he had an overview of what Corso would do next. His gaze was soft as he looked at Corso, over his shoulder. Corso started deep tissue massage on his lower back. If Sonny would not feel it, he would know that this was deeper than skin deep injury. Corso found the pressure points, and got to work. Sonny was caught of guard, and yelped in pain as Corso got into the deeper tissue with his massage, as it was clearly hitting a particularly painful spot. Corso smiled. This was actually a relief, the injury was not as bad as he had feared. He signalled that he was done. But Sonny remained laying down as Corso continued, and finally finished up. Then, he slowly rolled over on his side, still laying, as Corso had taught him to do after a massage.

"You want to know who did it, or how he did it first?" Sonny finally asked. Corso looked at him. Even with the dim light in the cabin, the oil on Sonnys skin. a residue from the salve, gave him a golden glow where he lay.

"Whatever you feel most comfortable with, Sonny" Corso replied, wiping his hands clean of the salve he had used.

This was going to be a nasty story, no matter what form it took. And it would alllow him to understand why Sonny had run when he did and why the extreme anger in him rose the way it did.

Sonny nodded, and rolled over on his back. For a second, he closed his eyes, as if this took extra strength to say.

"Let's start with the 'who'. I am sure you have heard of him, being a former military man" Sonny said, and it was clearly deep emotions was at play when he spoke.

Corso looked at him. Had this happened during Sonnys military service, although that sounded like it was short lived? If so, how come Technoid had not done anything about it when he came to work for them? he was about to find out soon enough, and something told him, this story would be nasty.

"Who is the fucker that did that to you?" Corso finally asked.

Sonnys eyes had grown dark now, like a storm was raging inside of him. Corso thought he was prepared for whatever Sonny would say, but nothing could have prepared him for Sonnys answer.

"General Bleylock, formerly in the Technoid driven allied forces. Thats who. Now, he is the right hand of Duke Maddox. And that is the real villain within Technoid. Duke Maddox seems to be clueless of his dealings. If he knew the levels of insanity that scum holds, what he has done to others, the threats, the abuse, the secrets he hides,he would have him locked up in a far away dump somewhere, if he knows what is good for him." Sonny spat out the words.

Corso looked at him, for a long while.

"I have heard rumours, but they were never confirmed. That he supposedly punished soldiers by whipping, or...other means." Corso finally said, recalling all the stories he had heard.

"The stories are true Corso, I can testify to that. The beating I took, after confronting him with how my research was abused...It nearly killed me. And it did not stop there. It got worse." Sonny said.

From his voice, Corso could tell that Sonny was still holding his anger at the General back, and a lot too. As he looked at him, he saw the look in Sonnys eyes, a dark suppressed anger, a wild fire of anger held back, controlled, given an other outlet that was productive rather than dwell on the past.

"What did he use to cause you that injury Sonny? To pierce all three layers of skin that deep.. it takes tremendous force, that or a tremendous rage. Or a combination of both" Corso said, not really sure he wanted to hear more. But he had started this. And he had to see it through.

"It was both, and he used a customized personal little toy. It is a bit hard to fight back, or even avoid the blows raining down on you, when your hands are tied up over your head and you got no way to calm him down,and even if, he was not going to listen, not in that state of mind he was in when it happened" Sonny said.

He closed his eyes, as if he relived the memories in his minds eye.

"The blood loss that must have caused...how did you survive it? It must have knocked you out cold. I would have thought he would have left you to bleed out after this." Corso stammered.

Sonny nodded.

"It did. But somewhere, he still had a sense of compassion. That may be what saved my life that night. But I am not sure it is worth the price I paid for it. After I lost consciousness from the beating, that is when he cut me loose from the restraints, and tended to the wounds, even bandaged me up. But with him, it was all just preparing the next step of his punishment, for me failing to obey his orders. I was not a soldier at the time, but a scientist.I did not fight back, I was too scared, and rattled to even realise what kind of hell he was about to put me through. And it did me no good to try to fight him. I guess he has perfected his methods out in the field. Till that night, I could still see him as having human traits, although with a barrage of issues, stemming from active war duty. Not sure where though. But that was the first glimpses I had of the monster he became. A monster he hides well if you dont know what to look for." Sonny replied.

Corso clenched his fists.

"I guess this is where my trading starts. If you really want to avoid raising my anger, and make me lash out, it is very simple. Don'talk about the flux wars, ever. It is what is triggered and causes me to go into a rage. I have visions of crappy superiors, how being a soldier had no honour or glory to its name, not when you think of what we went through out there, all the killing we did,the rivers of blood we are responsible for... I don't know if I will ever come to terms with it. All I know is, that is what triggers my rage, and anger. That, and any sounds that sound to be from the active field." he said.

Sonny nodded. He then pushed himself up.

"you feel better now that you know the story?There is more, but it is all I am capable of sharing at this point." he said.

Corso nodded.

"Thanks Sonny, I would break Bleylocks neck if I got hold of him, now that I know this. He had no rights to do that to you, when you stood up to him." Corso said.

Sonny nodded. And on second thought, he turned to Corso again.

"Promise me, If you ever get close to this monster, always adress him as General Bleylock. To fail doing so, can trigger some seriously dangerous situations,and I don't want you to get injured by him like I did. Second, no matter how tempting, The pirates don't kill anyone, not even the worst scum of the galaxy. We may imprison them, and hand them over to the authorities, but we don't kill. Got it?" he asked.

Corso nodded.

"Got it, Captain"...

* * *

A while later, after being back at the bridge of the ship, Sonny again found the file on Labnor. He could not quite explain how, but he had a strong feeling he would soon know what had happened to his friend and lab partner after they escaped Technoid. He did not look forwards to admit that he had caused the explosion, however involuntary that was. And with it, he had lost his beloved wife, and his unborn son. Sonny clenched fists.

"One day, you will pay for the way you destroyed Labnors life, and mine, and probably many others too, General Bleylock..."


	8. Chapter 8

_This will possibly not be the most fun chapter, but it came to be because of a tiny detail I want to explain. All will not be clear yet, but if you watch the episode in the first season of the show, where Clamp realises the connection between his former lab partner, and the pirates leader, it will make more sense. Happy reading._

They had arrived at The Obia Moon. And in comparison to the shiloh Archipelago, things was orderly and neat here, not like the chaotic everyday life of the pirates. Corso looked out the porthole as they landed.

" Nice move securing a spot in the astro port, but are we not easy to spot here? Technoid is never far from the closer more important ports" Corso asked slightly puzzled at the choice of harbour.

The pirates was used to hiding, wich meant parking in what would be seen as down right dumps, rather than where they were now.

"Yes, but we don't stay for long. It will take Technoid a given time to respond to us having been spotted. And the clock started ticking the moment we docked. We will get out by the time they get here. Droids are not always an advantage, like this one will show." Sonny smiled.

"Relax Corso, we will leave within the hour, for our next destination. Who knows, maybe we even get to have some fun before we are done." Sonny promised his rather tense right hand man.

"And where is our next destination?I didnt see it plotted in anywhere." Corso wanted to know.

"Planet Xenon. We have some goods to pick up there. It will fetch a good price at the black market. Zarinds contacts came in handy this time." Sonny answered without looking up from what he was doing.

Corso peeked at the file, over his shoulder.

"Yarritt Labnor..hey, that name came up when Technoid interrogated me" he said.

This caused Sonny to stop what he was doing, and look look sharply at him.

"What did they reveal about him Corso?" he asked, and Corso could tell this had made him tense up.

What was with this man, that Sonny did not tell.

" They did not know wheter he was alive or not, some speaking of the disaster on Akillian, and somehow, they dragged you into the matter, under your old name" he recalled.

Sonny nodded slowly."I wont discuss the matter further for now, but if any information on Labnor should surface, like proof of life, anything, I want to be notified immidiately"he said.

Corso nodded.

"As you wish Captain..."

* * *

They made it out just in time it seemed. A Technoid ship Sonny had reccognized as carrying the police force droids for the area, arrived at the same time they made ready to depart. And that made him decide to put the enemy at a disadvantage.

" Let their little army of robots disembark first. It is gonna take time to get back on board, even for them, and that will allow for us to go into stealth mode by the time they catch up. Perfect opourtuity to test the new stealth mode shield. Activate the bionic shields to protect against laser strikes." Sonny suggested.

That made Corso grin.

"They are going to raise your bounty Sonny, mark my words, just for being the troll you are right now. Duke Maddox is gonna be fuming over this." he chuckled.

Sonny laughed too.

"I think I am worth a bit more than two million standard units anyway. Whoever wants to claim it, better realise I am not an easy capture, they are going to have to work for it. As I happen to like pirate life the way it is now, the inside of a technoid prison, does not sound like an adventure I feel ready for. " he laughed.

Corso shook his head, as they took off, in a hail of laser blasts. Prison was one option for his friend, but he had the feeling, Sonny playing this game with Duke Maddox would lead to a far more severe punishment if they every caught him. And if he had a say in the matter, he would always be the wall between Sonny and Technoid. Sonny had so much to give. Time to let them know that this was not payday or cashing in on pirates. Corso grinned as he looked at the screen that gave him a view of the ground and the droids storming towards the not at all hidden pirate ship. Then, he turned the ship towards space and the next destination.

" See ya Toasters"...

* * *

It took half a day to reach their new destination. The stealth mode funciton worked fantastic, they had flown right over Technoids police cruisers, undetected. Now, they made it towards a landing area. Sonny would not take any chances with them, the Xenons were easily angered, and the pirates were crimminals even here. Caution was needed as they found what would act as a temporary parking spot while handling what they were here for. The Xenon planet looked dark as the Black Manta silently slid into the docking area in the more shady part of the planet. The Xenons were reptiles known for an ill temper, so Sonny was more cautious this time. And with good reason.

A xenon could easily kill a human being. And their strength was had fought some of them in The Ring, and it always made him feel like he had been chewed and spit out the day after. As they arrived, Sonny had him land in a darker and more hostile area of the planet, as they were less likely to be found there. The cargo was needed technology for the pirates to sell. Not Technoid issued, but more advanced, Xenon and Lightnings technology. How they managed to come by this stuff, he prefeered not to think of. It all belonged in an underground market, an enviroment the pirates knew how to naviagte. By now, they had put aside enough money to keep trades going on the illegal market. As they made ready to depart the ship, he noticed that Sonny seemed to make a risk asscessment before he made the call to wear protection outside the ship. It all depended on where they went wheter he would do it or not. But this time, Sonny had put his protective gear on, and a cloak, to conceal himself. Corso went with him, he still took his second role as Sonnys bodyguard deadly serious. The market they walked into was gigantic, with lot of interesting components. When Sonny stopped to check something, Corso would keep a look out, to make sure Sonny was not seen by the ones looking to capture him. even here, a bounty hunter or police could be found, and the last thing they needed, was anyone making an attempt to capture Sonny. Corso walked slowly, just behind Sonny, at arms lenght distance, ready to pull him out of harms way, or of need be, push him down, whatever would offer the best protection in any needed situation. When Sonny was masked like this, he really could not tell what he was thinking. The goggles hid his eyes, the only sure way Corso knew to detect Sonnys thoughts.

As the pirates had found and paid for what they were looking for, Zarind made arrangements to have the goods brought on board the Black Manta. They decided on another round back for more in a few weeks, as this was goods that would fetch a high price. Corso knew this meant more nutritios meals for the pirates. They had to rely on low budget food much of the time, although Sonny still looked for a way to change that. As Sonny and Zarind sealed the deal, Corso heard some commotion close by the stand where they were wrapping things up. He decided to take a closer look, see what it was about. He signalled to Sonny that he was just gonna have a quick look. Sonny nodded, signalling they would be with him shortly. Corso left the stand and moved towards the noise. That was when he noticed a small man, who was backed into a corner by few Xenons. His stand was filled with various inventions, and Corso realised this man was just trying to make a living out of creating new stuff. He should leave, but something made him stay put. In the distance, he noticed Zarind and Sonny approach. A Xenon was all the way in the old mans face now, acting very threatening.

"You owe us money Clamp, the inventions of yours keep breaking all the time. Its all a pile of junk. Fix it or pay me back what I paid for it. I am not paying any money for an item that does not work." he heard the Xenon say.

The man, who appeared to be from Akillian, backed up."If you just Bring it here, I will fix it" he offered.

The Xenons were not happy with that offer. And they moved closer.

Corso decided to intervene. This was not fair, and the man they called Clamp,seemed defenceless.

"Hey, why dont you pick on someone your own size?" Corso yelled as he approached them. The Xenons looked at Corso, who put his hand to his cybernetic eye. "My mother always thought me not to pick on those smaller than me. If you want to fight, here I am." Corso said, inviting the Xenon to a fight.

"Stay out of this pirate, this is none of your concern." The xenon snarled.

"Oh Yeah, then how about I make it my concern? I figure its been a while since I had a proper fight, and this is your lucky day. I think I already whooped you in The Ring. Talk tough, but fight like a girl" Corso said and shot a quick but effective energy beam to the ground. That made the Xenons back off. The two Xenons wandered off, disgruntled, but with too much respect for Corsos eye to make an attempt to fight.

"Thank you" The man named Clamp said, as he brushed the drust off his clothes.

Corso nodded. By now, he noticed that Zarind and Sonny had also joined him.

Sonny had pulled his cloak close to his face, to not expose himself, but he looked at Clamp in a strange way.

"Labnor?" he said, voice sounding strange.

The man that called himself Clamp looked at him."I am sorry Sir, but I dont know who this Labnor you seek is. As a matter of fact, I have very little memory of anything, from before the great catastrophe on Akillian. I only know I worked for Technoid, before they made me have to survive in this dump. So much for a long and loyal service to them." he said.

Corso noticed how Sonny seemed to jolt in a shock when he heard that. Sonny knew this man, that much he was sure of. But from where? Corso looked at Sonnys reaction. He had recognized the other man, but it seemed to be one sided. This man had clearly experienced what a lot of pirates had before him. And whatever bond he had to Sonny, this seemed personal. Sonny took a small step forwards, then, he stopped. it was as if he resigned slightly. What was going on here?

"Forgive me Sir,I was wrong. You just remind me of someone I used to know." Sonny said, still with his cloak closed tightly,concealing his identity. On The Xenons planet, it was best to be prudent, as the planet had a reputation for violence, and also was in a stage of rebuilding after the war.

Clamp looked at him, and despite the cloak he wore, he seemed to look at Sonny, with a face that seemed to search his mind to find out where he knew this man from.

"There is something about you sir, it feels like I know you from somewhere, but where...I just would not know" he said and turned to look at his merchandise that lay scattered after the brawl.

"Thanks for your help, I better get started on cleaning up" he said.

Sonny surprised them all, by lending him a hand. He helped Clamp put up all the things that had toppled over. Soon, the other pirates chimed in.

When they were done, Sonny looked at Clamp.

"Are you sure this is the right place to stay to sell your creations Clamp? Your buyers seems like they could get angry fast. This could be an unhealthy place to stay, should they come back." he said with concern in his voice.

Clamp nodded.

"True, but I still need to make enough money to leave this planet. I dont remember much of my life, but the one thing I do know is, I will never work for Technoid again. Those rotten scums" he sighed.

Corso grinned and he could see Sonny hold up a glove covered hand to hide his smile too. The poor man had clearly had his memory erased, it was not like they had not heard of it, in all honesty, they themselves did that sometimes, to prisoners and pirates that wanted a new go at life, and try to make it back to their families. One of the things that had changed after Sonny took over as leader, was tracking down imprisoned pirates, and freeing them from captivity, often made for knowledge of ventilation ducts and sewers to be used. Sonny had proven to be very creative in what way to use for a break in. And that would eventually only add to the bounty on his head being raised. Well, if two million standard units did not bring enough attention to make people turn on them, they either had more support out there than they thought, or people knew them to be innocent in what they were accused of. And it seemed this Clamp fellow could relate to a lot of what they themselves had found out.

Corso looked to Sonny, to see what he was thinking. Even with the goggles, he found that he was able to read what Sonny was thinking to a certain point. And he would make the guess, Sonny was going to help Clamp out, for free.

"Where would you be headed if you could leave right now?" he asked, making the question sound casual.

"I dont know, somewhere more peaceful than here, Its been a rough six months, I really could do with some rest, and try to invent something new." Clamp said.

Sonny nodded.

"We will help you out. Corso, make sure all of his merchandise is loaded on board. We will be leaving within the hour." he said.

Corso nodded. This move was not unexpected. He would have to talk to Sonny about this later. Even if Clamp did not remember Sonny, it was clear that Sonny had identified someone he knew, someone he trusted. And any enemy of Technoid was a friend of the Pirates...

* * *

They were ready for take off. Sonny had taken off his protective gear now, and again, Clamp acted as if he reccognized him, but could not pinpoint from where. But what he did know, was that he was among friends."Where to Sonny?" Corso asked, as he was at the flight controls. Sonny rubbed his chin."Return to the Obia Moon,it is the safest place for Clamp at the moment. After, we return to the lair at Shiloh" Sonny ordered.

Corso nodded, and set the course...

* * *

In the lounge, Clamp was sitting with a piece of paper and a could not pinpoint it, but there was something about Sonny Blackbones.. He had either seen or met this man before. But where, and in what connection?

He looked up, as said man entered.

"How are you feeling Clamp?" he asked mildly.

That voice..there was something so familiar with it, like he felt safe when around this man he did not know.

" Yes, yes, I am fine thank you" he said.

Sonny sat down on the sofa next to him.

"Clamp, do you remember anything about your time with Technoid at all?" he asked mildly.

And was met with a blank stare.

" Im sorry Sonny, I dont. I dont know why,but I seem to reccognize you from somewhere..I just cant remember where" he said, looking sad.

Sonny looked compassionately at him.

"It seems, someone has erased your memory Clamp. It is what normally happens with everyone that escapes Technoid. I dont know of anyone that escaped without some form of harm. We have freed some, and found even more that has been in misery due to their dealings. The pirates cant do much, but we will get to the truth of their dealings" Sonny said.

Clamp looked at him.

"I wish I could do something for you and your men Sonny, it is my understanding that you are the Captain of this ship?" he asked.

Sonny nodded.

"I am, and whatever happened to you, I will find who is behind it, and hold them responsible" he said, as he got up...

* * *

Clamp had been safely relocated to the Obia Moon. And now the pirates were in flight. Sonny was looking at a piece of paper where Clamp had drawn an insignia. The good old days in the lab. The memories of that time, hour after hour, checking test tubes of an unknown substance, meant to improve football droids. How could they have been so naive to believe that was the real purpose of their invention? When he thought back at what that had led to...Sonny clenched his fists. He still needed more evidence if he was going to pin Bleylock to the wall for this. There was no one that would believe him if he could not put forth proof.

Corso came up behind him.

"Feeling good about seeing your old friend again?" he asked.

Sonny did not respond immideately. Corso put his hand on his shoulder.

Sonny was tense. He knew something he was not sharing.

"The past is coming back with a vengance Corso, maybe this time, I will be able to correct my past mistakes" he said.

Corso nodded.

As Corso went to their shared cabin,he sat down on his bed. He cared deeply for his friend Sonny, but this meeting, This man Clamp, it had brought back some ghosts from Sonnys past. Ghosts Sonny was not willing to share just yet.

Corso laid down and closed his eyes. He would adress this later, right now, he just wanted to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Corso looked over at Sonnys bed. Sonny was clearly asleep, but it was not a restful sleep.

It had started with him tossing and turning some, almost as if he tried to find a more comfortable position to lay down in. It had made Corso weary. Sonny had little sleep as it was. The duties of being a captain, not to mention, the leader of the pirates, took its toll on him. Most the time, Sonny had dark rings under his eyes, and it made him look older than his actual age. What little sleep he had, needed to be of good quality. And tonight, it was not. And as it progressed, Corso seriously considered taking Sonnys sleeping device, and set it for eight hours of deep sleep,to make sure he had sufficient rest. Sonny was under immense stress every day. If he was to function optimally, he needed to get proper rest. The massages helped off course, and Sonny was able to fall asleep by himself when Corso applied his knowlede, and he knew Sonny would relax properly with the tension in the muscles reduced to a minimum. But after seeing this Clamp fellow, it seemed something had changed for Sonny. He was more lost in thoughts, and not as playful as normal, and what was more,he had frequent headaches,that seemed to come out of nowhere. He recalled how this had worried him the first time it happened. But Sonny kept insisting he was fine, wich was something Corso did not agree with. He saw a deterrioration in Sonnys sleep as a he cursed the very fact that they had found Clamp, or Yarritt Labnor as Sonny claimed his real name was, since it affected Sonny so strongly, and not in a good way.. Corso wondered what dark memories Sonny was processing from his subconscious mind. Whatever it was, It was causing Sonny to toss and turn, making small sounds that indicated this would be an anything but peaceful nigh. Corso tried to silently and calmly whisper to him, to calm him down, but with little effect. As he looked at Sonny, where his blanket had been torn down and exposed his muscular torsoe, he could see a thin layer of sweat covering Sonnys body. As it progressed inside his head, Sonny tossed even more, his blanket ending up on the floor. Now, the tossing got even more violent. It looked as if he tried to escape an attacker. Corso was halfway out of his bed, with the intent to calm Sonny down, bringing him back to a more peaceful sleep, when it seemed Sonny entered an even deeper stage of whatever he was having dreams about. Corso could tell he started to sweat heavily now, his breating also changed, into one that indicated full blown night terror, and Sonny remained very uneasy, and restless. Night mares. Off course. As he approached his sleeping friend, Sonny would start to yell out in share panic.

"No,stop it... Get off of me...I Dont want this...stop Bleylock! It hurts. Let me go."

The name made Corso have cold chills down his spine. He recalled what Sonny had told him about this man. Clearly, Sonny had only answered what he had agree to tell. Their trade off. And in all honesty, he had not told overly much either. He was not one for talking much. And the memories he had, did not make for good conversation either. Sonny was starting to move around even more now,and as he did it was clear that he tried to flee an invisible attacker."No, Stop Bleylock, it hurts, dont do this to me,Ill be good, just dont hurt me. Just, go easy on me, I will take whatever you want to do, just dont make it hurt." he whispered. For a second, Corso stopped, thinking Sonny was calming. But not tonight. The sheet had come undone in one of the corners, and wrapped around Sonnys ancle. And as the sheets clung around him, he started fighting an invisible attacker again, yelling in panic. Corso knew that he could not wake Sonny in this stage, it could down right hurt him. But watching this,knowing that what had to be playing in Sonnys minds eye had to do with Bleylock, whom he now knew had injured him, and from the sound of it, done a whole lot more to him, Corso could not take it. He swiftly moved in to position over at Sonnys side,placing his hands on his shoulders, trying to rub him gently, in the hopes he would wake up, but it did not help. He had to switch tactics. Corso placed his arms around Sonnys chest and gently managed to roll Sonny over at his stomach, thinking a light massage would help, that his subconscious would register that he was a friend, and that he would calm down. But whatever it was with this position, laying on the stoamch, it seemed to frighten Sonny even more. It had absolutely none of the desired effect. Sonny started to fight harder, and Corso didnt have to check, he knew Sonnys pulse would be racing by now. Corso knew, this was the subconscious trauma Sonny had lived, his mind remembered it all very vividly in his sleep, and he fought to keep an invisible attacker away from him. Corso knew, he had to calm Sonny down, but how?

Corso went on instinct. Carefully, he applied his own full bodyweight, and gently held Sonny down, making sure his head was turned so he could breathe. And Sonnys breathing sounded like he was in a full blown panic attack. Ok, this would not help, Corso switched tactic again. Ducking from the blows Sonny would send out wildly, as he fought, Corso managed to get behind him, and locked his arms under Sonnys, and managed to get into a loop, locking Sonnys arms, and then, he locked his own hands at Sonnys neck.

"Hush Sonny, Im here, I got you, You're safe. No one will hurt you. I will get you through this." Corso whispered, silently. Sonny was still fighting, he could feel his muscles tense, and realised, whatever Sonny saw in his dream state, was scaring him. Corso held the pressure evenly, and kept talking to him, calm and easy.

It took forever, before he felt Sonny slowly relaxed. Corso carefully laid him down, on his abdomen. The way he had fought, Corso could feel the muscles in his neck and upper back was tense. He was going to feel this tomorrow, unless...Corso made a quick decission. It was late, but so what. Sonny would not get the rest he needed unless he intervened. Corso took the tiny bottle of the massage oil he had made, he knew Sonny kept it in the top drawer of his night stand, and gently applied a generous amount to Sonnys back. Sonny remained sleeping, but he felt more relaxed now. Corso smiled slightly, as he started to work his way from his neck, and down to his lower back. Little by little, he felt the tension let go. He kept at it, till he felt Sonnys breathing pattern change, and a light snore could be heard. Corso knew he should go over to his own bed, but something made him lay down beside Sonny, and gently put his arms around him. It seemed to help. Corso decided to keep an eye on Sonny for the next weeks, if the nightmares came back, he would have to try to do something. And it made him curious to know more. Sonny did not strike him as the kind of man that would frighten easily. And he had spoken Bleylocks name. Was General Bleylock the sole reason for Sonnys nightmares?

At this point, that was only guess work on his side. But somehow he had to know more about this. And possibly without Sonny knowing. In his mind, Corso made a decision.

He would have to speak to General Bleylock, face to face, to learn more. Corso carefully placed his forehead to Sonnys neck.

"Whatever it takes Sonny, I will keep you safe from harm. Forgive me what I have to, do to do just that. I will do it because you are so special to me, I cant imagine this life without you as a part of it. If I have to go into the lions den to protect you, I will. I will find the answers because I...love you" he said, the last words a mere whisper.

Sonny sighed, and rolled more to the side, Corso could feel him breathe clamly now. With a smile, he slowly got up, gently put the covers around his friends body, before he laid down in his own bed...

* * *

They were headed to Genesis Stadium. The black market there offered an excellent price for their merchandise, so that was where they went. Sonny had looked at new places to go, to pick up more merchandise to sell. The pirates had not been overly active on raids lately, and Sonny was looking into Technoids routes to see where the merchandise that would fetch the best price was being sent from. But Technoid had encrypted the files, and what was more, the old pirate program they had used was outdated, A new one had to be installed, only, to do this, access to Technoids main computer was needed. And to do that, one had to physically enter the Technoid building to install the new program on the main computer. And no pirate willingly wanted to enter the lions den. Corso gave them all a chance to speak, before he put his plan in action.

" Since everyone seems to be afraid to do this, I will. Just give me the memory stick or disc with the program, I will get this taken care off. We need the information, someone has to do the job, may as well be me." he offered.

Bennett looked suspiciously at him.

"I did not know you knew anything about computer hacking Corso, this is a new side to you." he stated.

Corso grinned at him.

"There is plenty about me you dont know Bennett, and for your own safety, lets keep it that way. I know my way around a computer and its systems, lets leave it at that. I can do this, just tell me where to go and what needs be done, and I will handle it." he said.

Sonny rubbed his chin.

" Getting in is dangerous,you need a back up,I'll team up with you for this." he said.

That was not a part of Corsos plan. If he was to use this opourtunity to corner Bleylock, he needed to make sure Sonny stayed safe. And after the nightmare, Corso knew, Sonny was not safe, especially not near Bleylock.

"Sonny, I don't want you to get captured. Stay here, where you are safe. I'll take someone else." Corso suggested, trying to sound his normal self.

Sonny sent him a small but grateful smile.

"I appreciate your concern for my well being Corso,but I am coming with. I know the inside of the Technoid buildings better anyone else. You need my help to get in and out without getting spotted." Sonny explained.

Corso was stubborn. He needed Sonny at a safe distance from this.

"I dont like this Sonny, with the new wanted poster of yours, there is increased attention, someone might see you, even in disguise, and turn you in. Please, stay here, I promise I'll be quick, and it makes my job easier if I know they cant get to you that easily. " he said.

Sonny nodded."Ok Corso, you convinced me. But if there is any sign of trouble, I will step in" he said.

Corso nodded.

"You're the boss"...

* * *

He hoped Bleylock would still be there at this late hour. He had a list of questions for him. As he entered the building, Corso made his way through the ducts. Bennett had remotely put in a fake video file to cover the passage he was travelling. Corso hurried along all he could, he wanted as much time as possible with Bleylock, hell, he wanted to nail him to the wall for what he knew he had done to Sonny. And a part of him worried, as he suspected there was more, something about Sonnys nightmare had made him alert, there had been more sinister things than just a beating that had taken place between them. And Corso felt he needed to know, to understand his friend, who meant the galaxy to him, and to be able to better protect him. He soon had accomplished what he had set out to do. Now, to find Bleylock. Corso had made sure to take a trip deeper into the building. Where would someone like Bleylock have his office? Corso moved swiftly down the hallway, careful not to make any unnecessary noise. No need to advertise his presence. As he came down a hallway, he noticed an office that still had the lights on. Maybe this was the place? Corso then did something that was breaking protocol. Sonny was going to yell at him for this later. Well, cross that bridge when you get there. Corso turned off his transmitter signal. Now it was him and Bleylock..

"Sonny, I have lost Corsos tracking signal" Zarind reported.

That made Sonny raise from his chair.

"What are you doing Corso, this is dangerous. Bleylock is in that building, and he happens to like the late hours" Sonny mumbled.

This did not leave him with a good feeling. Either Corso had walked into a trap or this was something he had planned. But why? Sonny came to recall a memory that seemed more than a bit hazy. He could have sworn, Corso had laid behind him, carefully embracing him, forehead to his neck, saying something to the effect that he would protect him at all cost..because he loved him. All of a sudden, Sonny realised exactly what Corso had planned. And this was not going to end well, Corso did not know Bleylock, not like he did. Sonny could feel cold chills down his spine at the thought of what a meeting between the two of them could lead to. He had to do something. Bleylock was a sadist, that much he knew, but Corso, for him, this was an act of love. To a close friend. Sonny knew Corso did not know all that had happened between him and Bleylock, he had left out a lot, the worst part of it all, to spare his friend all the horrible details. And now, it seemed more than likely, that Corso was headed to the Lions Den, to confront, and possibly attempt to kill General Bleylock. And if he succeeded, he would be on top of Technoids most wanted list, for murder. Sure, Bleylock was scum, the worst of the worst, but just the same, Sonny was not going to let Corso or any of the pirates take a life if it could be avoided. Not to mention, Bleylock could easily end up killing Corso. And as a wanted man, a pirate, Bleylock would be seen as having acted in self defence, as Corso would have been a wanted man. Sonny was not going to give Bleylock the pleasure of murdering one of his men. He knew what the General had done in the past, better than most. And he had to get Corso out of this, but with Corsos transmitter turned off, he had no way of tracking him. Sonny made a decision.

"Zarind, gather a team of four. We are going in to get Corso"...

* * *

Corso looked around the spacious office. It almost looked like someone lived here full time. It was neat and tidy, kept in a typical masculine colour. A picture on the wall, told him this was the place. He looked at the desk. There was a small picture there. Something about it looked very familiar. As he looked closer, he realised why. It was General Bleylock. And with him, smiling, wearing a black t shirt and a baseball cap, there was Sonny. A younger version of him yes, but it was still Sonny. It made Corso grit teeths. Clearly Sonny had a special place in Bleylocks life when this was taken. Was there any more pictures of them? Corso decided to check. And it did not take long before he found some. Only, not of them together. This time, it was images of Sonny sleeping, all alone. Covers neatly draped around him. Almost as if someone had made him pose for these pictures. Corso found that thought disturbing. The way he knew Sonny, there was no way he would willingly do this. Corso looked closely. There was a picture of Sonny, lying on his stomach, still asleep, but the covers were low on his body now, like he had moved and the covers were not draped. Corso sensed that the picture would reveal that the covers was the only thing that protected Sonny from being completely naked. And it dawned on Corso what Sonny had left out.

"Either you were his equal as his lover Sonny, or he took advantage of you for these favours. I wonder what made it go so wrong" he said.

"Put the pictures down, and walk slowly away from my desk" sounded a voice.

It sounded mild but Corso was trained to read suppressed anger when he heard it. And this man was seething.

He turned around.

"We finally meet, General Bleylock"...


	10. Chapter 10

The other man looked at him. Medium tall guy, built like a human, with glowing, evil eyes stood before him, clearly angry he was there. Well, this would be the one he sought. Corso studied the General closely where he stood. This man, a terror of the galaxy for sure, had some answering to do in regards to why Sonny was having the nightmares he had. Corso stood his ground, not putting the pictures General was not used to be disobeyed it seemed, especially not from a lower ranking soldier like him. That didnt matter much though, Corso had no intention of leaving before he had his answers. It seemed the General knew or had some sense of why he was here . And now he approached him.

"What are you doing in my office, Pirate?" he asked, voice shaking with anger.

Corso decided, despite his own anger towards the general, with what he knew about him, Lord knew he had his reasons to be furious,but despite that,he decided to be honest.

"I came, because I got questions, and you're gonna answer them. Either willingly or by way of force. That is your choise." he replied as calmly as he could.

Bleylock took the pictures he had just put down.

"I take it, it concerns I'Son, or Sonny as you know him as then. There is no other reason a pirate, the right hand man of Sonny Blackbones, being in my office late at night, in Technoid territory, unless this somehow concerns your leader." he said with a slight smirk.

Corso nodded.

"I want to know about why. Why did you beat him half to death, whatever did he do to you, to make you resort to that tactic, with a civilian? This is the kind of method used on prisoners of war, and to my knowledge, it has been a while since we were in active war. I should know, as I was active in the damn thing. So, why did you hurt him like that?" Corso said, managing a neutral voice.

General Bleylock smiled.

"A wounded soldier. Sonny must have lowered his standards conciderably. I seemed to recall he had higher aims than this. Or is being a pirate making him make due with what is available to him now that he cant pick from the top shelf anymore?" he smirked.

"Now what is that supposed to mean? After what you did to him, you are not even worthy to speak his name. This has nothing to do with me, but all to do with Sonny." Corso spat, feeling anger start to build within.

Bleylock did not even flitch.

"Wich name would that be, Corso?Sonny Blackbones, the name he took once you managed to talk him into turning his back on Technoid, the company that was willing to do everything to help him through the worst time in his life, or whom he used to be?You are aware, in all official records, his name is still I'Son Danvers, a former Technoid employee, taken prisoner by the Shiloh pirates under the leadership of Magnus Blade. At Technoid, we are worried for him,we are ready to make an exchange of prisoners too you know, to have our man back, to help him." Bleylock said as he calmly sat down on his office chair.

"You really expect me to believe that Bleylock? Technoid put out a wanted poster for him. Right now you are offering two million standard units to anyone that can capture and bring him from my knowledge, it was here at Technoid he sustained the injuries to his back that is well concealed,but still there. On top of that, who knows what more he was subjected to, him and many others may I add, with the nightmares he is suffering from. Rest assured,The pirates will not turn him over to Technoid. Nor does Sonny want to return. He is one of us now, and also, our leader. He is free from Technoid, and whatever horrors you presented him with during his time here." Corso managed through gritted teeths.

Bleylock still acted calm. So damn calm. He neither excused his behavior, or anything else.

"It is General Bleylock, Sargent, and so you know, your precious Sonny, has clearly left things out from the story he told you. He is very sentimental, if he ever told you anything from his time here, he would aim to protect the ones he told from the worst. And his own involvement in things, wich would make what happened to him be more understandable to an outsider like yourself. Dont try to attack me for a story with two sides. Sonny is not as innocent as you take him for." he answered calmly.

That calm was beginning to get on Corsos nerves.

"Then why dont you tell me about him? Tell me, who do you know Sonny Blackbones to be?What it is he supposedly failed to tell or outrigt left out telling us. Cause with the hate he holds towards you, I can guess that he has good reasons not to say anything, more so to protect us than himself. The man I know him to be, is a protector, even if it means hurt to himself." Corso said, fiercely defending his friend.

General Bleylock looked at him.

"I dont know Sonny Blackbones the pirate,I never knew anyone under that name. But I can tell you about I'Son Danvers, the scientist who worked for Technoid and who he was during his time here." he offered with a smirk.

Corso nodded. this would offer a starting point, and an insight into who Sonny was before he was a pirate. Maybe he could find out more why he had shut himself off the way he had.

"Fine. Tell me about I'Son"...

* * *

The four man team, led by Sonny was ready to go. Sonny fought hard to supress the fear he felt for Corso. Corso had no idea how dangerous General Bleylock really was, he thougt he had protected him by leaving the worst about the past there out. That had clearly been a mistake, as it seemed Corso was pushing for answers he was not ready to the cost for those answer could come at Corsos life. He should have known he was up to something when he offered to do the installation in the Technoid at the same time, he was furious with being disobeyed by Corso this way. He could understand Corso wanting to protect him, but going after Bleylock, with little to no knowledge other than the stories told in the battlefield about this man, that was reckless, not to mention dangerous. And by now, he knew how Corso could act, how he would run a potty mouth if he felt in the mood. And every one of those moves would anger Bleylock. And doing so was exactly how Corso would could only hope they did not arrive too late. In his mind, Sonny knew he had to make an example out of Corsos actions. He was the Captain of the ship, and the chosen leader of the pirates. And what Corso had done, it amounted to insubordination. And as a Captain, he could not allow this kind of behaviour on board, not even from Corso. That would make him appear a weak leader, when the oposite was the case. Sonny had decided on a fitting punishment for the crime. Once back on board, Corso would have to report in if he ever wanted to set foot outside the ship. And what was more, he would not leave the ship, without being with him. Sonny was cut from his trail of thoughts as Zarind had driven forth one of their cars. Sonny put on his cloak and the other gear. Now, he just hoped they would make it there in time to stop Corso from killing Bleylock...

* * *

Corso was clutching his fists as he looked at the General.

"What is the story about I'Son as you call him, that I don 't already know?" he snarled.

"Calm yourself Corso. I will get to it."

Bleylock said, pouring himself some tea in what looked like an exclusive china. But he did not offer Corso any.

"I was the one that found him for Technoid. After my active war duty. I was taken out of action after certain rumours about mistreating my men started flowing around.I was accused of using brutal ways of punishment for insubordination." he started.

Corso nodded. He was well aware of the rumours as he put it, only, he had seen evidence to the truth of these rumours, not just with Sonny, there had been other soldiers too, who had graphic, and disturbing images of their injuries.

"As I could no longer be out in the field,because of my rank, I was put in charge of finding new, promising talents for Technoid, talents we could develop into new staff with the knowledge we needed within the company. So, I travelled the schools of the galaxy, and eventually, reached Akillian, where I was to attend a science class. All mediocre students, not really standing out, until the end of the class. The teacher had a feel that I was looking for someone no longer there. So he played me a video from three years earlier in the was this young man, not yet out of his teens, who was able to show his teachers lack of skill, by doing the same tests, and excercies, but faster. And as it turned out, also, safer and more accurate. I was facinated with what I saw. Here was a young man, skilled beyond the level his teachers could help him develop in, and he was rotting away on Akillian, working in a bar, not being able to shine like the star he was. I made some inquieries, and found his was nearly 18 at the time of the video,when I set out to find him, he was near 22, and had not been working with science for a while. He also served his military service and was at home on leave since his sister had just been ill, I found him at his parents home and talked to him. At first, he was hesitant, feeling obligated to finish, but I told him he could be dragged in to active war duty, and offered him a way out,by joining Technoids science team on a full schollarship. I understand his father was against the deal I put forth, but I'Son was a head strong young man. And he saw this as an opourtunity. It all ended in him coming with me, on a full Technoid schollarship, to one of our prestisious academies, where he started his science career. I never told him, but the ones he served with in military, was deployed in active war just a few weeks later, many did not survive, I got him out just in time to avoid him being sent to the front lines on Ascaron." Bleylock recalled.

Corso nodded. The General had done something good there. The front lines on Ascaron he knew very well himself. That was not a place for Sonny. Too many lost their life there. And when he thought of it, so far, Sonnys choises made perfect sense. What young man would not jump at the possibility of a full scollarship, to do what he loved, and had a talent for? If it had been him, he would do the same thing. Bleylock picked up the pictures he had looked at from his desk.

"I wonder if he still looks as peaceful now when he sleeps. I woke up many times, just looking at him, sleeping peacefully. Looking like an angel where he lay"Bleylock said dreamningly.

Angel?Sonny was no angel by the interpretation of the bit the inside of his cheek not to down right laugh. Sonny was many things, but an angel? Hardly. He was far too mischievous for that. But in a good way. Maybe the word the general sought was adonis.

"Try restless, tossing and turning, sweating, and screaming in horror, that would be a good night for Sonny right now. And it is not exactly fun to watch. He needs whatever rest he can get, be it good or bad. I have tried pinning him down, with no luck." Corso said.

Bleylock nodded.

"And I suppose I am being blamed for that too? It has been a long time since I saw him, and last time, I had to subdue him, to keep him calm. Sonny can either be calm, or in full panic, the latter makes restraints necessary to even make him listen to what you say." Bleylock said, sounding sad all of a sudden.

Corso was not buying it.

"Yeah right, you think I believe that? I found out what you did to him, and what kind of injuries you left. A lasting imprint to make him remember you, when he fled for his life. Not to mention what you took from him, You and Technoid. As far as I understand, you played a part in his wife and unborn son dying" Corso growled, his hands starting to shake with anger. If he only had not made the promise to Sonny to not kill this scum...

"That was on I'Son, not me. If he had done what he was supposed to, and not tried to steal from me, from Technoid, none of this would have happened.

As for his wife, he would have grown tired of happy family life soon enough. And when he would have divorced her, I would have been there, I would have welcomed him back. I would take him in and care for him untill he was back on his feets." Bleylock said, looking at Corso all of a sudden.

And to his astonishment, he could see something that looked like...no it was impossible, Bleylock was incapable of such. But yet, the word he sought was..honesty.

It dawned on Corso what kind of connection Bleylock had to Sonny.

"Sonny...he was your lover,right?" Corso asked,shocked at this realisation.

Bleylock nodded.

" And I would welcome him back, even as Sonny Blackbones. What happened..I never meant to kill her, or his son. I was more than willing to let him have that, if that meant he would still be in my life. I would have stayed in the background, as long as I could still spend time with him as a lover and friend." Bleylock said, as he looked at the pictures.

"I will always remember him like this, looking so innocent, so beautiful to look at. Is he..seeing someone now days? Or has he found someone new to sleep with? Someone that protects him." Bleylock asked, sounding strangely hurt by the idea.

Corso knew he had to move carefully. This man was not as mild as he tried to make himself out to be.

"He does not have the time to date, if that is what you ask. Being our leader, he has barely got enough hours in the day to get through it all, even with help. No romantic connections to my knowledge, but he is surrounded by friends whom cares for him the same way he cares for us." Corso replied.

Bleylock nodded. And Corso saw something he never expected to see in his eyes. A glimmer of hope. Too bad he had to crush it.

"He wont come back Bleylock, he is not I'Son any more. He is Sonny Blackbones now, and Sonny holds a lot of anger aimed at Technoid. Also, he has parted ways with Technoid, he is a fullblown pirate now, and if not the best,then one of our best men" Corso said silently.

It had to be done,despite the hurt it would inflict.

"Did he know you planned this meeting?What do you think he will feel when he realises that you went to see me?" Bleylock asked, and this time, Corso did not feel good about it.

"If he did, he'd be standing beside me right now, and I dont see him here. I protect him by not telling untill after I have left. If he wants to punish me for this, let him." Corso said.

Bleylock nodded, and looked at the picture Corso had found so unsettling.

"I should have removed the cover when I took that picture,shown him in all his beauty, how he looks after a night of passion, He really gave it all that night, wich made him look very peaceful after it was done" he said.

That was the the drop. Corso vividly recalled Sonnys terrified screams, begging Bleylock to stop. Whatever had happened between them, was not consentual,nor was it an act of passion in his eyes. Corso had a feeling Sonny had been attacked, and forced, not a willing participant at all. But he had to force the General to admit to this fact.

"Passion General? Last time I checked, when a man screams out in horror like Sonny did last night,begging someone to stop, it is not the result of passion. My impression is that this passion as you call it, was forced on him." Corso said, and this time, he was not trying to conceal his hatred.

Who the hell did he think he was? Corso knew the rumour spoke of several soldiers having been subjected to simmilar treatment. And passion had nothing to do with this.

Bleylock had composed himself.

"I regret nothing, you dont know the whole story here,and it seems clear your friend Sonny Blackbones is keeping quite a few secrets from you, about his past."he said.

Then a smirk formed on his face.

"Or are you asking because you are the one sleeping with him now? Holding him in your arms, caressing him, feeling his body against yours? Or are you pinning him down, and taking what you want from him, while he silently accepts it? I recall he was into the submissive role in the bedroom, knowing full well what his teasing and playful behaviour would lead to, I hope he has not forgotten the playful tricks I thaught him during our time together." he asked mockingly.

This made Corso fly into a rage.

" Why you dirty son of a... You forced him. He never would have done that. I care about Sonny, a lot. But I would never force him to anything like you did, you monster!" Corso yelled, hands shaking in fury.

Bleylock smirked as he looked at him.

"And yet,he came to me and begged for it, over and over,night after night. I am just human, what he offered to me, I took." he said.

Corso felt the anger overpower him. No one talked like that about his best friend, and certainly not this scum.

"you will pay for what you did to him. You call it passion,I call it something less flathering. And only a monster would do that to another human being"he growled.

Bleylock got up."Too bad I dont have audios to give you of the passion we shared, it would have changed your view on your friend, made you question wheter he is as honest as you think. He enjoyed what I did to him." General Bleylock said.

That was it. With a roar Corso threw himself forwards at General Bleylock, with murder in his eyes...

* * *

They had reached the Technoid building,and a shocked Bennett, who was on watch to keep Corso off the security cameras.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as Sonny approached him.

And from his posture, he could tell Sonny had figured Corso out, and he was not happy about it.

"No time to discuss matters Bennett, where is Corso?" Sonny asked, voice shaking with suppressed anger.

Bennett was glad he was not in Corsos shoes right now. And what the devil was going on?

"Bennett, find Corso, right this instant! Thats an order!"Sonny managed through gritting teeths.

"At once Captain" Bennett saluted, and started the search through each room...

* * *

In Bleylocks office, Corso had punched The General in the face, and he was growling from the anger. How dared this scum make such suggestions about Sonny? Corso knew Bleylock had hit a nerve with his questions. But this was hardly the time to get into it. The General had clearly been in active war duty before, and he was using the hand to hand combat tactics of the military well, perhaps too well.

Maybe it had been a bad idea to come here. Sonny was not going to be happy once he found out.

Corso decided to go for the kill. He always did move fast, and now he needed to take out Bleylock. Not kill him, if he did, Sonny would have to exile him afterwards. But he was going to leave the scum unconscious. And it had been some time since he had a good hand to hand combat.

Bleylock moved closer, almost like a slithering snake. But Corso was prepared. Weapons or no weapons, he had done this too many times, in The Ring, in actual combat. This was childs play. He dodged the attack, and that gave him the opening he needed. Bleylock never knew what hit him, but Corso managed to get behind him, and used a choke hold in combination with his knowledge of pressure points. Silently, Bleylock fell to the floor, unconscious.

Corso considered taking the pictures of Sonny with him to have them destroyed, but decided against it. It would also upset Sonny to find those pictures, and could trigger new traumas for him. He would have to tell him about it though.

Corso silently left the office of General Bleylock...

* * *

Sonny and the others had reached the hallway of General Bleylocks office. Sonny hated coming here, but he had no choise. It was either this, or his right hand man ending up dead. Bleylock was not made a General just in an official capacity. This man had fought in wars of his home planet, and his rank spoke volumes of what he was capable of. Sonny worried for Corso, worried what he would find, and he even worried about coming face to face with Bleylock. He was not sure. There, the door to an office he had seen the inside of far too often. Sonny swallowed the lump in his throat. Focus Blackbones, Find Corso, and get out of here, he told himself.

As they were about to move forwards, The door opened, and out came...Corso.

A little bruised, but alive. Sonny felt relieved.

As Corso as about to round the corner, Zarind grabbed hold of him and pulled him into the shaddows. Corso could not conceal a smile when he saw them.

"Thanks for the welcome, but the matter is handled" he smirked.

"I take it you did not kill anyone then?" Sonny asked.

Corso looked at him. Sonny was unreadable behind the goggles, but his voice revealed that he was going to have to explain himself when they got back.

"He is still alive, just sleeping after our talk" he informed.

Sonny nodded.

"Then, lets get out of here"...

* * *

Back at The Black Manta, it was evident that Corso had some explaining to do. The other pirates sent him compassionate looks. This meant Sonny was furious, and he better have a good explanation for his actions.

" Corso, Our cabin, on the double!" Sonny said as he struggled to stay calm.

Now the adrenaline was wearing of,but this kind of reckless behaviour was going to end, right here and now.

Corso followed him. And he knew Sonny was well within his rights to be angry.

But he had gotten answers, and he regretted nothing. As soon as the door closed behind him, Sonny turned around.

"Corso, please explain why you acted this way, and give me a good reason not to confine you to the cabin for the next month" he managed.

Corso could tell he was angry still.

"Dont expect me to apologise for my actions Sonny. I did what I had to do, to understand the situation we are in, sharing a cabin, better. I did it to be able to help you better." he tried.

Sonny sighed.

"I know Corso, but just the same. You could have gotten yourself killed tonight. Bleylock is a very dangerous man, and he too knows how to kill someone. I suspect he has several lives on his conscience as it need to establish some clear rules here. I am the captain and my word goes as the law around here. There also needs to be a punishment for what you did. I thought about this, and here it is. From this point on, you are to report to me, if you ever leave the ship. And for the first month, you dont leave my sight, you got that?" he asked, sounding more his normal self now.

Corso smiled.

"Understood Captain" he replied.

This made Sonny smile. He placed a hand on Corsos shoulder.

"I hope you found the answers you sought" he said.

Corso just smiled.

"That, and a few surprises. But most of all,I found where my loyalty lies, now and forever" he said.

Sonny smiled.

"Lets head back to Shiloh, we got a lot do do" he said.

When at the flight controls Corso could not help wonder about Bleylock. The man had surprised him. He hoped that one day this General too would find more than hurt and pain his life. He could not be all bad, Sonny had felt something for him at one point. Well, that was a thought for another day.

Right now, he was going home to Shiloh...


	11. Chapter 11

The weeks that followed, Bleylocks words kept haunting Corso. Especially the pictures he had seen of Sonny, seemingly asleep, only partially covered had happened prior to those pictures taken, had something to do with the injury to Sonnys back, that he was sure he realised that Sonny wasnt worried about himself and the story coming out, he was worried about Corso, and wheter or not he would survive the encounter with Bleylock. On those pictures, Sonny had either been exhausted, the covers possibly covering an injury, or the fact that he was completely naked under the thin sheet, while sleeping. And Bleylock had used that time to take pictures of him, in a vulnerable state. Corso had not wanted to know what had happened prior to the pictures taken from Bleylocks mouth. It felt filthy in a way.. The covers had been the only thing that made the pictures decent. What had happened prior to them being taken, or even after, that was a dark place he did not want to go. And he had still not talked to Sonny about it. Corso had deliberately not wanted to go there, and analyze the why behind that. Sonny was his friend, his leader. And to think someone would do what Bleylock had seemingly done to him...it bothered Corso, a lot more than he was willing to admit. He thought he had hid it well, but now, it seemed he had failed. Sonny sent him a strange look from his seat on the bridge. He could have sworn, sometimes he felt Sonny could read his mind, and know all that was going on inside his head. And now, seemed to be one of those times.

" Corso, may I have a word with you, in private?" Sonny asked mildly and rose from his seat.

Corso nodded, and followed Sonny to the cabin. As Sonny locked the door, Corso had a feeling what was coming.

"I can guess what this is about Sonny. My meeting with Bleylock, right?"he asked.

Sonny nodded ,slowly.

"You have been very thoughtful ever since that night. And I want to know, what did that scum tell you about things?I dont need to guess to figure out whom you were talking about." Sonny replied, looking at him for answers.

Corso sighed, and stared out the porthole, back turned against Sonny.

"I think you know what we talked about Sonny. We talked about you, and your past in Technoid." he said.

Sonny sighed." I figured as much. Corso, look at me" he asked softly.

Corso turned towards him. Sonny had sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Tell me what he told you Corso. I'll try to explain exactly what happened, from my side. You may find there is a big gap between how Bleylock sees it,and what I experienced. I don't ask you to believe in me Corso, or Bleylock. I ask you to trust what your own intuition tells you, what you feel is the truth" Sonny said silently.

Corso nodded.

"For starters, Bleylock claims you were his lover, what is your story about that?" he asked.

He hated having to do this, as he saw Sonny winch at the very thought this question brought up, but there was no turning back now.

"That one is unfortunately true Corso. I was his lover. At first, by choice, I was young, and adventurous, and even in that area, I was up for exploring everything life offered. Also, by going that route, Bleylock made sure to reward me,by giving me access to things, places and most of all, contacts, that helped me boost my research, it seemed a small price to pay, to get ahead in the game. But as time passed, Bleylock grew more possessive of me, and started to monopolize my time, giving me more work to do. It isolated me more, and for the longest time, he had my life under control. I was so busy, I had most of my clothes and all at his place, as it was easier that way. Bleylock, through his rank as General had access to databases I could not get into through the library or the students access portals. I needed his keycodes to gain access. It seemed a good idea at the time. At first, it was innocent enough, just kissing and cuddle at night, before sleeping in his bed, innocent at that point, but it did not take long until he wanted more, lots more. And that is when his true colours showed. Till then, I had dismissed it as jealousy, only to have it proved to be true." Sonny admitted.

Corso nodded. That one sounded a lot more like the Sonny he knew.

"Then, he claimed you begged him to do what he did to you, night after night" Corso continued.

Sonny smirked for a second.

" Well, this is where we go separate ways.I begged yes, for him to stop what he was doing. He concealed the bruisings it made off course,making excuses I am surprised no one ever believed to explain it, and when I wanted to object, threatening me that no one would ever believe my version, that I was nothing but an insignificant little scientist in his mind, and the only way I would get anywhere, was by putting up with his desires, satisfy them, and all would be fine. Wich it wasn't. What he did, was not consensual. I told him I did't want it. Where I said no, it must have sounded to him like I agreed. And at that point, I was not strong enough to fight him off. And I still have an issue with being pinned down to the ground now, it brings back memories that are far from pleasant, memories from what happened in his house, and the bedroom there." Sonny explained.

His voice sounded almost mechanic. Corso was worried, as his friend clearly was in a state of mind that hurt from the experience and having to tell. As he heard Sonny tell his version of events, he hated Bleylock even more for what he had done to Sonny. Sonny finally finished with the detailed account of events. Now he looked at Corso.

"Anything else you want to hear or say?" he asked.

Corso nodded.

"I don't know if you are aware of it, but he has a set of pictures of you Sonny. You appear to be asleep in those, only partially covered up. But the images appeared someone had draped the covers around you, to expose your body as much as possible, without leaving you down right nude" he explained, clearly uncomfortable.

Sonny nodded. Corso could tell this was news Sonny did not like to hear of.

"Those are pictures he has been taken after he did his dirty deeds. He always pushed to the point where I would pass out from the pain of it all, or from the sheer exhaustion of keeping up with him" Sonny said, clearly in thoughts.

Corso frowned.

"Could he have left the covers to hide the fact that you had been injured during your little get together?" he asked, slightly concerned.

Sonny nodded.

"It is likely, most of it, I can't even remember,except I know I had nightmares about it for a long while after" he said.

Corso looked at him.

"Seems to me, you still have traumas from it. That was what made me seek him out.I have had my fair share of nightmares Sonny, I hope you have not witnessed any of them,at least not yet, but the one you had,I would have thought you were in a war zone, the way you our leader, those are all things that can cause you to make an error that will not just allow your capture, but all of us. All pirates here has their own stories and reasons to be here, that we all have in common. What makes me want to protect you, is that you are our leader. You are the one that we cant afford to loose. As for my actions, when you had those nightmares, I tried to calm you. I did the mistake of placing you on your stomach, guess that was a bad choice, since your pulse raced when I did that. I had to hold you in a head lock, to calm you enough to massage your neck and calm your pulse enough to relax you, to get you to rest. It worried me to see you like that.I decided to do the only thing left, to understand the situation, and protect you . And I decided to get to the bottom of it, without you knowing it. As I did not want to put you in danger." he said.

Sonny smiled.

"And instead of letting me know, you put yourself in harms way, in an attempt to protect me?Or was it because you knew I would have said no if I knew what you planned?" he asked mildly.

Corso nodded.

"I am not proud of it, but I don't regret it either.I needed to know Sonny, and it seemed a better idea to go after him alone, than to ask you. I..I just care too much Sonny, about your well being..I cant stand by and do nothing when I see the traumas you are working through, surely you understand that" he whispered.

Sonny nodded, slightly more serious now.

"Corso,please,just be honest from now on.I also got something else I need to ask you. I am not sure I dreamt it or not, but that night, did you whisper, head to my neck, that you love me? or was that just me dreamimg?" he asked.

Corso inhaled had said it, and Sonny had heard it. He thought him to be sound asleep. But now it was clear, He had heard him. And Corso decided not to lie to Sonny about this. He bowed his head.

"I did say it Sonny, and I meant it. You mean the galaxy to me,and still, there is this side to you, that strikes me as far more vulnerable than you let on. That is all the defence I have for my actions. Everyone need to be protected at times Sonny, and it seems, this time, its you that needs it. And I will make sure you get it." he explained.

Sonny looked at him with a small smile.

"Corso,I was not fully awake, but not fully asleep either. I know, and trust me, I feel the same way about you. If something had happened to you that night, I don't know if I could live with myself. You see Corso, The love you say you have for me, I feel the same way with you. And you scared me by doing what you did. That is why I had to make an example out of you, to show the crew that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated on board" Sonny said.

Then, he smiled a small smile.

"Not to mention, I noticed you react another way too, when laying next to me." he said with a grin.

This made Corso blush."I..I don't know what to say to that Sonny.." he said.

"No need to say anything Corso,you are not the first to have felt like that. And I never said I felt repelled by it" Sonny said, placing his hand on Corsos shoulder.

"No pressure, we will talk about it later. But this talk cleared up a lot of things, I am glad we sat down and talked." Sonny smiled as he got up. He was about to head for the door.

But Corso did not feel done. He gently grasped Sonnys arm.

"Sonny, you don't walk out of here, with that just hanging in the air. Can you at least explain what you meant by 'not feeling repelled by it'?" he asked. Was there even a remote chance Sonny spoke of something different than what he did, or were they more on the same page in regards to that than he had imagined?

Sonny just smiled, but Corso could tell, there would be no answer right now.

"We will talk it over later Corso. Right now, we are headed to Technoid base. I know you dont like it, but there is some information that has been offered, and the contact may easily slip if we are not fast to act on it" he explained.

Corso knew this was the end of things for now. This was back to work.

"Can the contact be trusted Sonny? You know well how I feel about Technoid. Going there is a place I would like to avoid, for several reasons. And that is one place you are not safe." Corso said.

Sonny nodded.

"I know Corso,but this information is needed, to locate the prison barges where captured pirates are held for now. They switch location every 48 hours, so we have limited windows to operate within. We need the information to act swiftly." he explained.

Corso nodded this.

"Is there any particular prisoners we are looking for?" he asked.

"Any and all of our own" he said.

Corso nodded.

"You're the boss"...

* * *

Planet Technoid was a dark place. Lots of misery came from this metallic man made factory in space. Sonny looked out the look out of The Black Manta.

He had received part of his training as a scientist here, back in the day when Bleylock had briefly stayed put. Now, he was back. And Technoid Base was as welcoming as he remembered it. Sonny checked his equipment. Down here, he would rely on it more than ever. It all had to follow a tight schedule. The order to go in for landing in stealth mode had already been given. He looked over at Corso, who was also doing a check on his equipment. Corso seemed tense, and he could not blame him. This was not a place he planned on staying in for long. He just needed to get in contact with their contact on the ground, and get the information. Then,as soon as they had their information, they could get to work to free the prisoners. This had to work...

* * *

Sonny felt like he had creepy crawlers everywhere when they approached the given location to meet with their contact. Corso was watchful tonight, always staying within arms length of him. It felt good having him that close, almost safe. And that was the one thing being here was not. It was not safe. Sonny could see the contact approach them.

"I hardly recognized you I'Son. You have grown careful after you joined the pirates" The contact commented with a grin.

"The name is Sonny, Sonny Blackbones. And do you have the information we are paying for?" Sonny replied.

The contact smirked.

"I don't have the information on me,I am not that crazy,but I know where it is" he explained.

Sonny was not impressed.

"This is not what was agreed upon. This is starting to look like a trap. If you dont have the information, then where is it found?" he asked.

"If you want the information, you need to enter General Bleylocks office, it is on the harddrive there, under codename Secret" the contact told him.

Corso could see how this made Sonny grit teeths. This was not what had been agreed upon. And what was more. Sonny was not safe here, none of them was, but Sonny even less.

"I'll do it get the information, just don't put yourself in harms way" Corso suggested, hoping Sonny would listen to reason.

Sonny was still not done with his punishment, and it was time to show him what that meant in practical terms.

"I'm coming with Corso, and that is final." he said.

Corso nodded. He had expected that after last time.

"Then, let's go"...

* * *

The hallways were dark, and there had been changes that had been made since last time he was here. Sonny gritted teeths in frustration. That meant Bleylock did not have the same office he remembered. He looked over at Corso.

" We have to split up, you take the right side of the hallway, I'll take the left. And hurry Corso, we don't have much time" he said.

Corso nodded silently, and started on the right hand side while Sonny took the left. Office after office..anonymous, and not one of them reminded of Bleylock. Could he have been relocated again? With his behaviour, that was not completely unlikely. Sonny continued to look, until he found an office that carried Bleylocks hallmark interior.

" Now, let's see where you have put what I am seeking" Sonny said, as he turned on the computer...

* * *

On the right hand side, Corso continued his search. Nothing. The rat was hiding, and he could only hope Sonny had better luck than him. As he was about to exit after having searched through both of them, he heard a whistling sound, and felt the gas rise."Sleeping gas, I must get out of here and warn Sonny.." That was all he managed before he was overpowered by the gas...

* * *

At Bleylocks office, Sonny had copied the information he sought on to a memory stick. He turned the computer off, when he noticed something on a table. It looked like...No, it could not be...

Corso had mentioned a set of pictures like that. If they were here, it meant..

"A trap. I must find Corso and get out of here" Sonny said.

Then, he realised the room was filling silently with a type of gas.

"No, I got to get out out of here, get us both out of here" Sonny said,as he made his way towards the door. Only to find, it was locked.

Sonny tried putting his gloved hand in front of his nose and mouth, to delay the process. By now, he felt faint. Slowly, Sonny sank to the floor...

Bleylock had already picked up Corso and put him in the elevator down to his home made torture chamber.

He smiled as he noticed the pirate leader on the floor.

"Now I got you. And with your new lover captured too, let's see how compliant you are I'Son"...


	12. Chapter 12

As Corso woke up, he found himself, arms bound on his back. Great, just great. As if this was not bad enough as it was. Corsos eyes slowly got used to the darkness in the room. At least, his cybernetic eye allowed him to check his surroundings, even in pitch dark. And then, he noticed the room more. This looked like an old fashioned torture chamber. some of the tools here was from ancient times, not toys he was into trying out. As Corso looked closer, he saw someone lying there next to him on the bed. A quick check, told him, who it was. Sonny laid stretched out next to him. And from the looks of it, he too was bound, arms on the back. Corso carefully turned so he could check if Sonny was ok. Sonny moaned as he woke up from the gas. Good, he too was fine. Then, Sonny tried to use his arms, only to find the ropes tied him to the bed, next to Corso.

"Corso, are you ok?" he asked, voice sounding slightly worried.

"I'm fine Sonny, how about you?" Corso asked mildly.

"All fine, just passed out from the sleeping gas he released. Guess the crew is getting worried now, I am sure we are way behind schedule. They will surely activate our safety beacons, if they work down here. This toy room is on a low level, we are underground, our signal may not be strong enough" Sonny stated.

"They know the drill Sonny, besides, your transmitter should allow them to track you everywhere. Perks of being the leader. They will find us." Corso tried to lighten the mood some.

Sonny carefully pushed himself up into a seated position. Corso could tell his eyes was getting used to the room they were in.

"This is his playroom. I should have known this is where he would drag us. Its secluded, and sound proof. No one will hear us if he resorts to torture, wich I am not putting past him" Sonny said.

Corso used the night vision in his cybernetic eye,to check the room.

"The 'Toys' he's got in here is not making me feel like I want to stick around and play" Corso informed Sonny.

"Sounds like this is going to be brutal Corso, you best prepare. Bleylock has a reputation for violence as you know" Sonny said silently.

Corso nodded."How about the ropes Sonny? Any chance you can loosen them?I recall from our exercise that you had softer hands than me. Can you free yourself?'" Corso asked.

Sonny focused, and tried to relax his wrists enough to do just that.

"It will be a tight fit, but I just might be able to.." he said.

That was the moment the door slid open. And the light was turned on. Sonny blinked as the sharp light hurt his eyes. As soon as he got used to it, he opened them. And stared into a pair of evil yellow orbs.

"Bleylock!" he whispered, trying to hide the shock, and the hint of fear that rose within.

"I see you still have not forgotten me I'Son, or do you prefer me to call you by your new name, Sonny Blackbones?" he asked, voice sounding stangely calm, too calm, as Sonny knew this was the first warning sign of the seething anger that was just under the surface.

"It doesn't matter, since this is not going to end in a 'happy ever after'. What we once had ended a long time ago, you made sure of that." Sonny said as he tried to stay calm. The best way to get out of this, was to try to keep Bleylock calm for as long as he could. It was hard to tell if this was survivable or not. All he knew was, whatever this ended in, it was going to hurt, not just him, but Corso as well.

Bleylock turned his attention to Corso, who also had tried to work his ropes.

"Well well, you did not get all the answers you wanted last time, did you Sargent? And this time, you brought him with you. I must say, that is an unexpected move, but a welcome surprise" Bleylock smirked.

Corso was not impressed.

"You think we came for you? Sorry to crush your hopes General, but we were really just seeking information. Information you happened to have laying around" Corso said.

He had noticed Sonnys gaze, telling him to be careful, as Bleylock was in a dangerous mood.

"How touching. I wonder who the real puppet master among the pirates are, you or Sonny? Or maybe you switch roles. Or could it be your friend still prefers submissive to domination still? I would find it refreshing with a change on that." He mused.

Sonny felt like he wanted to draw attention away from Corso. If he had come further in the process of freeing himself, it was better Bleylock went after him than Corso.

"As I thought. You are still the same. And to think, I took you for having any qualities that resembled those of a human. I guess you are a product of your home world after all. And that is the reason you lost the most important thing and person in your life." Sonny said, knowing full well what saying this would cause. He braced himself for the unavoidable.

Bleylock snarled as he grabbed Sonny and pulled him to his feets. Sonny tried to hold against him, but the yank was hard and made him whimper for a second.

"Sonny!" Corsos voice was in a state of shock, and with a hint of fear.

Bleylock grabbed hold of Sonnys neck. Sonny having his arms still tied on his back was at a disadvantage, the only thing left to defend himself with was his feet.

"Why you ungrateful little shit. If not for me,you never would have gotten the education at Technoid, You would still be held down by incompetent teachers, working in a dump somewhere, I gave you a future, and I never asked much in return, wich you failed to see." Bleylock snarled.

Sonny felt the fear creep up, but he had to follow through on this.

"For some reason, that feels like it would have been better than the choice I made. As it would have kept you out of my life. And maybe my family too" he said.

Corso could only watch in shock as Bleylock slammed Sonny in the floor, and gave him a hard kick to the ribs. He heard the nauseating sound of bones breaking. Sonny rolled onto his side, breathing heavily. It didnt take a genius to realise that he was hurt, Corso just didnt know how bad.

"Sonny!Are you ok?" He yelled, hoping for a response.

Sonny tried to shield himself from another kick. The broken ribs hurt, he should have known better than to say the words that would cause an attack, but it was the only way to lead attention away from Corso. But it was his fault that they were in this mess in the first place, and he had to protect Corso, at all costs. Even if it meant Bleylock beat or kicked him to death.

"I am still here Corso" he said.

Corso had enough. He could not just sit by and watch Bleylock murder Sonny in cold blood, not this way.

"Get away from him, you monster. Pick on someone that is more your equal" he yelled furiously.

Bleylock turned towards him, and Corso did not like the smirk on his face. It was like this conversation amused the general, far more than it should.

"Monster you say Sargent? Interesting words, coming from a man that carries the sole responsibility for his entire platoon being slaughtered. Or have you forgotten already, what happened in your ill planned attack on the Technoid compound on Ascaron? Or were you so blinded with rage from the failed weapons test, that took down an enemy hospital, that you could not think clearly?" Bleylock asked calmly.

Sonny knew what that meant. There was no need for any physical attack on Corso. Bleylock had him back against the wall with the psycological attack instead. Physically, Corso could handle everything, but his psyche was far more fraile. And as horrible as this was, it seemed to be related to Corsos past, the Flux Wars, all the things Corso defined as a trigger for his violent anger issues. General Bleylock would throw it all in his face, unless he found a way to stop it.

"Corso, You are better than that, don't let him bring you down to your knees. Fight it Corso. Fight it" Sonny begged.

But Corso seemed to not hear him, it was like he was in a distant memory. An array of emotions was seen in his face, and none of them good.

He saw Kimberly, his loving three year old daughter, laughing in the green grass, running to help her mom, Noomi, his nurturing and loving wife.

Noomi lifting her, smiling, then, looking at him.

"There you are my love, just in time to set the table for supper"

Corso shook his head. Bleylock had pulled up a set of photographs. No! Anything but that. Sonny ignored the pain from his broken ribs, his gaze fixed on Corso, who seemed strangely defeated. What in Shilohs name had been done to him? Bleylock went over to where he lay, and lifted him. Sonny gasped from the pain, as Bleylock was not treating him in a nice way. Bleylock roughly placed him back on the bed, next to Corso.

"Back on to the bed next to your lover Sonny, I would not want you to miss this show. To see who it is you share a bed with. Then, we shall see who is the 'monster ' here" he said.

Sonny was breathing hard. The ribs hurt,he just hoped to avoid puncturing a lung or worse. But really, he did not care much about himself. What worried him, was Corsos despodence to it all. To see his friend like this, Sonny thought he had seen the worst of it by now, but this..this empty gaze..It was down right frightening. And whatever Bleylock was up to, he had the disturbing feeling it would traumatize his friend. And this time, in a serious way.

"There is no need for this Bleylock. Corso is a soldier, just like you once were,he has seen as much horror as you have,if not more. Stop this now" Sonny said.

Bleylock looked at him with an evil smile.

"And why would I want to do that Sonny?What could you possibly have to offer me,in exchange for sparing your friend the pain of looking at what he is responsible for? It had better be worth my time Sonny." he taunted, sending Sonny a look that said he had to be creative this time.

That was it. He had put himself in difficult situation now. But if it meant sparing Corso, if it would drag him out of this apathy, wich frightened him more than anything else, he would take it.

"We both know what you want Bleylock. I give you three hours. During that time, do whatevr you want,I will do as you ask,but No more than three hours. Also, then you don't show that video file. I am not doing this for me, nor is it for you, it is all for Corso." Sonny said, swallowing the lump in his throat. This would be three hours in utter hell for him, but it was better he took it than Corso getting even more hurt than he was. Sonny ignored the fear and disgust he felt at what he had to do. It was not going to feel good in any way,he did not look forwards to it, but if it spared Corso, his best friend, whom he loved so much deeper than words could explain...he would take whatever Bleylock came up with. Bleylock seemed to think it over. Then he smirked.

"I think not Sonny. Who knows how many others came after me in your life. Also, I don't particularly like the used toys of others, no matter how good looking they are. Too bad, as you were one of the best I was ever with." he said with a smirk.

This however, seemed to make Corso snap out of whatever hell he had been in. Sonny had just offered himself to Bleylock, to do whatever he wanted for three grueling hours, to save him. And Bleylock insulted him, acting as if Sonny had been sleeping around with many after him. That was not fair, Sonny wasnt like that, and Corso knew, to insult Sonny like that, made him angry, and by now he was seething.

"First, you don't speak of Sonny the way you just did. Second, unlike you,Sonny is a leader that earned the respect of his men, and supporters, by being a human, and through acts of kindness, and understanding. Unlike you, he is loved for who he is by his men. What I know about you, is stories that are not flathering, definately not someone I would be proud to serve under, as a commander or anything else. You may be a general,I give you that, but I have seen your work in the past. There is no way in this galaxy you can compare to Sonny, as a leader,or as a human being. So go ahead asshole, do your best. I am ready for whatever shit you may have on that file. And by the way, Yes, I love Sonny for who he is, and he is many things to me, my boss, my friend, my confidante. But he is not my lover. Dont you dare accuse him of things he has not done" Corso hissed, tugging at the ropes that bound him.

Bleylock smirked.

"That may be subject to change. It is a good way to make you do what he wants you to, isn't it Sonny?" Bleylock smirked, and gave Sonny a suggestive look. Sonny looked defiantly away. Bleylock had already rejected his offer, and now he tried to suggest to Corso that the way he led his men, was though sleeping with his favourites. That was not what had happened in the past, and he was not going to lead Corso on to think it could have been. Corso had seen Sonnys reaction, and the way Bleylock had looked at him. Here he turned down Sonnys offer to what sounded like the worst form of torture for three long hours. Whatever Bleylock could come up with. Sonny was willing to endure this, for a three hour long session, just to save him from this pain. If that was not true love, Corso had no idea what was. And what dirty Suggestion Bleylock made...That produced a roar of anger from Corso. And Sonny could see his friend had worked the ropes, as they were now dangling ow his wrists.

"DON'T YOU DARE GO THERE!HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE THAT ABOUT HIM!" Corso yelled as his cybernetic pulsated.

And it was enough for Bleylock to make a retreat. Even a general of Technoid knew better than to attack a roaring soldier with a pulsating cybernetic eye.

"Stop him Corso, he is getting away" Sonny yelled as he had gotten out of the ropes and tried to sit up. But the pain became too much. Sonny gasped for breath as he tried to lean forwards. Corso stopped just long enough for General Bleylock to reach the wall in the room. Corso bolted towards him.

But it was too late. General Bleylock had slipped behind a hidden panel in the wall. and now, it was closed. Corso looked to open it, but it seemed it was sealed shut, from the other side. But he had left the disc with the video file, and, at the small table inside the door, the damn pictures of him. There was also another cd on the desk, the information they had originally come for.

Sonny gasped of pain as he got up, and Corso noticed.

"Are you hurt?" he asked mildly.

Sonny felt tiny drops of sweat on his forehead, as he tried to stand up.

Corso shook his head. There was a first aid kit attached to the wall, right now, that would help Sonny. Corso opened it and took out some bandages.

"I'll bandage you up before we leave this room. No need to make the injury worse. Those ribs are broken right? You are gonna feel this for a few weeks"he said softly.

Sonny nodded it.

"The two lower ribs on my right side. He hit really hard this time. They snapped instantly." he commented.

Corso nodded.

"What do you say to us getting out of here? I have had enough of this place for a long while. And the sooner you are back at the ship, the sooner you can get proper medical attention" he said.

"That sounds like a plan" Sonny said, managing a smile.

As soon as Corso had wrapped the support bandage tightly around Sonnys broken ribs to keep them in place, they took the cursed photoes, and the disc with the video file. The information disk was also brought along.

Sonny looked at Corso, as he held the disc with the video files, looking at it.

"I can do the same thing with that as I am going to do with these pictures, destroy them once and for all" he offered.

Corso turned to look at him.A faint smile on his face.

"First, before you do that Sonny, I want you to take time to view it. I got a feeling what is on it.I don't want anything Bleylock tonight said to linger in your mind, causing you to question my honesty, or loyalty to you, to the cause and our organization." he said as he sat down for a second, and sighed heavily.

"Sonny,it is no secret that some of the things Bleylock said, is true. Not all of it, but is hard for me to talk about these things, but I want you to know, I am not holding anything back on purpose. The Flux wars..it was scenes beyond the horror the human mind can imagine, that my eyes have seen, both the cybernetic one and my remaining real one." Corso explained.

"My cybernetic eye recorded all what happened that day Bleylock spoke of. It would be in a hidden database on my home planet, Chissia, in the military there. For me, it is not the safest place to go. I am wanted as a pirate, but not with a bounty on my head. I am wanted on Chissia, as they see me as a deserter. While the truth is,I did not serve in the Chissian Army, I served in the forces on Ascaron. And as you know, the planet exploded. That was a cover up, a military cover up. The data of that day, you will need a code to access those files, if you want the truth of the matter" Corso looked at him.

Sonny could tell from the honesty in Corsos eyes, this was that he would have to view this alone. Corso could not take it.

"I will look into it Corso, you have my word" he promised.

Corso nodded, calm now.

"Now, how about we get out of here?" he asked...

* * *

It was two exhausted pirates that reached the ship hours later. They were welcomed by a worried crew, who immediately took Sonny to the infirmary to treat the broken ribs. Corso had taken a shower while Bennett and Zarind tended to Sonny. As he reached the cabin, he felt a soft hand to his shoulder. Sonny looked tired as he carefully laid down on the bed.

"Felling better now?" Sonny asked calmly.

Corso nodded.

"Yes, and you? How is those ribs feeling?" he asked.

Sonny grimaced.

"Like I got a good old fashioned round of getting my ass kicked. I'll be fine. Right now, I feel ready to crash. Bennett had me take a few pain killers to get through the worst of this." he said.

"Sounds like a plan,I was headed to the cabin myself." Corso said.

The two friends headed to their cabin, where Corso helped Sonny lay down, carefully. But as he was getting up to be on his way to his own bed, he felt Sonny grab his arm.

"Corso, stay here. Lay beside me. After this night, I just want that reassurance that you are fine." he asked silently.

Corso nodded and did as Sonny asked, He took his clothes off, and crawled into bed where Sonny laid,back towards him, and pulled the covers over them both. Corso gently embraced him. Tonight had shown just how deep this friendship of theirs went. It defied the boundaries of what he had always considered a friendship to be.

"Corso,promise me something" Sonny said all of a sudden, clearly, he had something on his mind he needed to get out before they called it a night.

Corso felt like he was falling asleep.

"What is it Sonny?" he asked.

Sonny let out a deep sigh.

"That despodence that I saw down there, please, never do that to me again. It scared me Corso, deeply. I would rather he gave me three hours in hell over seeing you like that." he confessed.

That made Corso smile. It had been an extreme situation that produced it. He felt fairly certain it would not happen again.

"I promise Sonny, I wont do that to you again. now, we should get some shut eye" he said.

Sonny smiled as he felt Corso pull him closer. As Corso silently fell asleep, Sonny turned out the lights, and noticed how Corso hand had found his hand, and gently locked his fingers with his.

Sonny smiled, despite the pain, and gently squeezed Corso back before he closed his eyes, and drifted off into sleep...


	13. Chapter 13

Corso slowly wake up. They had reached Shiloh and the lair sometime through the night, he could tell from looking out the porthole, that and the alarm clock on the night stand. Not his night stand though, Sonnys. And Sonny was still in deep sleep next to him. Corso smiled as he remembered last night. Sonnys soft eyes, telling him to lie beside him, rather than his own wasnt letting anyone close, but last night Sonny had shown himself as vulnerable. Maybe it was the pain killers, Bennett was sure to have given him the strongest version, as he had been in severe pain when they arrived. Corso had to admire how he pushed through, to get back to the ship as fast as possible. Corso smiled, as he heard a light snore from his friend. The night had taken its toll on Sonny, anCorso was not gonna wake him up unless he had to. And his hand, still held Sonnys, fingers locked like in a knot. He was clearly not the only one where the traumas still held on to him. Now, he knew just how far Sonny would go for his men, and his friends. He was willing to sacrifice his own life, if need be, and from what he had seen, even bow to the sick desires of General Bleylock, if it meant saving him. And then he recalled, how Bleylock had given Sonny a good kick to the ribs, breaking two on Sonnys right side. That was bound to hurt today. Corso looked at the time. And hoped no one would try to enter the cabin. Him and Sonny sleeping like this..it was bound to be new rumours around. Clearly, some already had their suspicions. What the crazy General Bleylock had thought, he really did not want to know. He didnt even want to give any second thoughts as to how General Bleylock would have any idea of them being close. What mattered was, they both got out, safe and sound, with the exception of Sonnys ribs. Corso smiled as he felt movement in Sonnys hand. He was about to wake up. Good. Then maybe they could avoid the rumours all together. Corso decided to give him a soft start of the day,

"Wake up Sleepyhead. We can't stay in bed all day. Unless you want to make sure we are gonna be the big gossip of the day on board, Captain and right hand sleepyheads." he said jokingly.

Sonny opened his eyes, as he heard what Corso said. But he was not in any hurry to get up. As the commander on board, Sonny rarely ever indulged in luxuries like sleeping in, even if he could. And it looked as if he was considering that option right now.

"That is my call to make Corso. As the ships captain, I can make that choice, but I won't. We got things to do" Sonny said as he stretched, only to let out a moan when the broken ribs reminded him of yesterdays adventure.

Corso chuckled.

"You may actually benefit from a rest. Those broken ribs are bound to hurt sometime. And that places you outside of active duty. With an injury like that, you need rest Sonny, better get it while you can." he smiled.

Despite the pain, Sonny managed to joke back.

" yes Doctor"...

* * *

The stay on Shiloh was short. And Corso found Sonny to sit down a lot more than normal, so he could tell the broken ribs hurt him more than he let on. Corso also found himself in deep thoughts. To understand why he had joined the pirates..it was not just his desire to leave Chissia, to give up the fighting at the ring. He was hiding, from his own mistakes, his own past. There was a good chance the military would still be after him. And if he was caught...well, that had not happened yet. He would cross that bridge when he got there. Corso sighed heavily, as he rose from his seat, causing Sonny and Bennett to look at him at the same time.

"Is something wrong Corso?" Sonny asked, slightly concerned.

Corso managed a tired smile.

"Just..overestimated my ability to preform today Sonny. Looks like last nights adventure took more out of me than sleep so far could replenish" Corso tried.

"You both slept well into the day, In Sonnys case, with broken ribs, I can understand it. Rest is needed to recover. In your case Corso, I think you just do not get the kind of sleep you need" Bennett said carefully.

Sonny nodded."Corso, there is a new sleeping device in the cabin. You take it, and wear it. Get at least eight hours of sleep" he said.

Corso looked at him.

"I don't need that much" he said.

Sonny looked back at him.

" I am not asking you Corso. That's an order!" he said, looking at him.

Corso nodded. he was too tired to fight today.

"You're the boss"...

* * *

Sonny looked at the disk Corso had given him. This would shed some light on his friends past. He still recalled how lost in thought Corso had seemed. So despodent, like nothing really mattered. Like he would always be running, with no goal in sight.

Sonny closed his eyes. He always had that feeling, that there was something even Corso looked over his shoulder at. Something he did not tell, possibly in an attempt to protect. Sonny took his personal laptop, and inserted the disc. All the files that came up, was war related. It was horrific images that came up, bloodstained fields, dismembered bodies..He was almost made part of this, if Technoid and Bleylock had not pulled him into the science instead. He had not told Corso what kind of School it was Bleylock had taken him from. That it was a military school, where he had excelled too far for his teachers, and commanders. He had not even told about the conversation that had convinced him to go for the science program, about his doubts as active war duty seemed to approach fast. He had not told of himself, a scared young man,having a personal conversation with General Bleylock, thinking the military academy was not the way for him, and General Bleylock offering him a way out, through entering the science program. Sure, he knew now that was not any different than the fighter pilot program. It held just as many dangers, if not more. Sonny focused on the video files again. There was a list to choose from. The main title, was Sergeant Corso Takashi,platoon 33, company 44.

Sonny creased his eyebrows. This video file was very informative, and about Corso. How would Bleylock had known about him? There had to be a deeper reason. Bleylock did not act like this without reason, that was not how this general worked. Sonny decided to look at the file first, that listed family. Even he knew next to nothing about Corso, and his family. He knew Corso had been married, but that was about it. Sonny clicked the file, and played it up. It showed a beautiful woman, tall, with long raven hair, and dark brown eyes. Sonny smiled when he saw the image of Noomi Takashi, Corsos wife, whom he had lost under till now, unknown circumstances. It seemed Bleylock knew, but with him, you never knew what was true. He could have lied about it all too, wich was not uncommon with him. Then, came a picture of a young child, a girl, possibly around three years old. She had beautiful eyes, a trusting smile,and dark mahogny curls around her face. She looked like a happy child but something seemed off. Sonny studied the image closer. With his degree as a professor, he had basic knowledge in genetics, and he could tell something was wrong. As he kept studying the file, he was proven right. The child, Kimberly, had a rare medical condition, making her dependent on medical help. And Sonny knew, the medication for this condition was expensive.

" His only child..you have really had the most rotten luck Corso.I really feel for you, you didnt deserve this" Sonny muttered to himself.

The story got worse. Corso had enrolled in the Ascaron military forces, as they were willing to foot the bill for his daughters treatment. Sonny could relate. If given the chance, he would do the same, if it meant his sick child would receive treatment that way. Then, the story took a brutal twist. Sonny saw images of a hospital, in ruins, body parts visible, blood... Then followed a list of names that had lost their lives. two names caught his eye, Sonny felt his eyes fill with tears when he realised what Corso had bore witness to and still had to live with.

"No Corso...I am so sorry..this..Oh my god.." Sonny whispered, as tears silently dripped from his eyes, as he realised the loss his friend had suffered. If she had been alive..he could have used his knowledge to help her. Instead, Corso had lost his daughter in a senseless attack, where his wife had also died. The other files that followed showed a changed Corso. A sergeant filled with rage, an unspoken rage, against Technoid, who was responsible for the the weapons test that had taken the life of his wife, and daughter. Corsos record showed he kept others safe from harm, his own life..that did not seem to matter much to him. And once again, it was something he knew all too well from his own experience. Come to think of it, Corso became close to a mirror of his own experiences this way. Sonny finished viewing the files,the last ones about the incident on Ascaron. They gave an overview of the situation General Bleylock had spoken of, but there was a piece of the information missing. Sonny knew Corso had spoken of his cybernetic eye, wich he had gotten prior to all this, due to an accident in the military. It had recorded his point of view of what had happened, but that information was not in here. If this was not among the information a general of Bleylocks stature could get hold of, that meant it was either deliberately left out, or it was classified. Corso had spoken of a code needed to unlock it. Sonny knew, he had to ask Corso for that code soon, to access his military record. Corso was maybe unable to watch this, so it fell to him, his best friend and commander, to suffer through it, and get the information needed. Sonny closed his eyes as the video file finished. Now, he got Corso, so much more. He could relate to his hurts, much deeper than he was ready to convey. And he was faced with an issue. Corsos recording on his cybernetic eye. Corso had said he needed a code, and Sonny had a feeling Corso had a code to give him. But he would have to ask him for it. And second came the hard part. He needed access to military information this time. And this was not something he was cleared for. If he had General Bleylocks codes however...No, forget it. Going that route would be dangerous, not to mention, Corso might do something to stop ask Bleylock would not help, that man never gave any favours without asking something in return, and Sonny could imagine what. Despite what he had told Corso when they were held in his play room, Sonny knew, if he met with General Bleylock one on one, Bleylock would make good on the offer he had made. The very idea of such a solution made him feel sick to his stomach. Better not think more ot this, or he would have to explain the vomit on the floor to his men. But what other options was available? Sonny did something he normally would never do. He took a piece of paper, and divided it into four exact pieces. Then, he wrote down the possible solutions, one by one, the pros and the cons. He would then take each note, and try to relax, holding the paper in hand, and try to see if this felt like the way to go. And the answer kept repeating, no, one time, two times, and three times..he possibly had to come up with more options to find the right solution for this. The one piece that remained, was the one that would make Corso mad. The Ring, and Afra. She seemed to have quite a lot of info, info that did not come for free. But going back there, could trigger memories for Corso again, he surely would not be happy. But maybe there was another way...Sonny did no know much about The Ring other than the fights going on there. Roughhousing was a word that felt fitting. This had been Corsos playground when he found him after a particular brutal when he was bruised and bloddied, Corso was a champion, and he seemed to thrive on the attention that the bruising gave. But Sonny and Magnus had hung around for a few days, and Sonny had observed Corso from a distance. Corso was a loner, whom didnt let anyone close, but a fighter you would not want to go against. Thats why he had hesiated to fight him. Somehow he knew before it started, Corso would defeat him in combat back then, but if it meant he would get him out.. Sonny had not even been sure Corso would survive the last match he had seen, it had been brutal, and yet, covered in blood,Corso was still the match victorer. To Sonnys knowledge. Corso had been undefeated in The Ring until he came around. Surprisingly the military had not come to seek him they knew he was there,or he just wasnt worth enough to them to go after, well, to the pirates, he was worth it, to him personally...Sonny stopped was not ready to go down that path yet. He had pulled Corso out of that life. He was not about to send him back in. There had to be another way to convince Afra to give up any information she had, perhaps he could appeal to her, as Corsos friend? She clearly cared about him. Maybe just as a profitable fighter, but just the same. If Corso had been there for a while, maybe she knew something. And if need be, had the codes needed to access the military files he was looking for. Sonny sat up, a bit too fast, and gasped in pain as his broken ribs reminded him of his brutal treatment the night before. Sonny smirked. Well, he had offered himself to Bleylock, for a full three hour session, wich he knew would have made him vomit. What that session would have entailed, he would not think about. Bleylock did not take the bait, Sonny knew the suggestive look had been an attempt to provoke Corso, trying to fake it into him being someone that would sleep his way to what he wanted. Corso had not taken the bait. He had gone with his intuition. And now, it was time for him to do the same. Sonny got up, carefully this time.

He was going to make an attempt at breaking into a military system. This would need his best hackers to date, to break it. Sonny smirked. He happened to know of a ship, where a young man, Artie was his name, had recently shown real hacking skills. But Artie was also driving his captain crazy. Maybe it was time to expand his team by one man? Sonny checked where the ship Artie served on was to be found. Good, not too far, just half a day.

And they did have some goods to pick up at Unadar.

Sonny headed to the ships bridge.

"Corso, set a course for Unadar. We are having a new crew member picked up. A hacker. He will be the fifth member of our team of four effective imideately." Sonny informed.

Corso nodded.

"They also got some interesting technology there,to improve vegetation and growth in hostile surroundings and barron landscapes. Could work well, to improve things in Shiloh City" he suggested.

This made Sonny smile."True, wich is why we are paying a large amount for that technology " he said with a wink.

Corso grinned.

" On our way in thirty minutes.."

* * *

The new technology was super. Corso had even looked at the components for a new cybernetic eye. The one he had was old. It would need replacement soon. Also, the weaponry they had scored, after thorough checks was something else.

State of the art, he would have wanted new guns, but Sonny was against it. They had vapour lasers, and that was it. Sonny did not allow anyone to carry military weapons on his ship. And then, there was the new man. Corso felt like calling him a kid instead. Artie was probably a good kid, but he was also a blabbermouth, and so far, he was driving him crazy. Sonny had intervened to keep him from strangling the kid two days in. And had told Artie to keep his distance from Corso.

"Don't talk to him,unless he has had his first cup of coffe" Bennett had warned him.

Those two seemed to hit it off, as did Sonny. Corso felt like he became the grouchy one. And Artie did his best to follow Corsos orders. To spare himself too much trouble, Corso put Artie on what they all called Rookie duty. Meaning cooking and doing the dishes. Artie was their youngest member, but also their best hacker. Sonny had put him to work on Technoid convoys at first. That would be a relatively easy break in. The security compared to the military would be low.

And a great field test for the kid to prove himself.

On their way to Shiloh, Corso found Sonny taking his arm, and silently lead him to their shared cabin.

As he closed the door, Sonny turned to him.

"Corso, I viewed the video files you gave me" he said.

Corso nodded.

"I figured you would. Did you find anything you need me to clarify?" he asked.

Sonny shook his head.

"No,I just wanted to say..I am sorry for your loss Corso...I..I can relate" Sonny said silently.

Corso nodded.

"I have felt empty inside ever since, like I am drifting in the galaxy, with no purpose, till the day I met you." he confessed.

Sonny looked at him,the question painted in his face.

"May I ask, how did that meeting change you Corso?I was only looking for crew to staff a ship" he reminded him.

Corso smiled.

"I had a purpose again, to protect you in any way I can. For a soldier,that is all that is needed. Even if I had to test you in the ring, I knew I would be working closely with you afterwards. If you had not wanted to fight, I would have found another way to go with you." he explained.

Sonny looked at him.

" There is one more thing Corso. You said a piece of the puzzle is left out, that I would need to see the recording from your cybernetic eye, to fully understand what happened at Ascaron. You also spoke about a code, as this was military graded" he said.

Corso nodded this.

"I will give you the code Sonny, as it is my personal code. But it may not be enough, as this is locked in the system of the Chissian Army. It did not happen there, but being I am originally from Chissia,that would be where it is hidden. Chissian weaponry, and computer knowledge is among the best, if not the best in the galaxy Sonny. You will need a great, a more than great hacker to break in." he explained.

Sonny nodded."That, or help from someone that knows the system".

He had thought it through, if Corso got mad, so be it. He needed to know, and that was all there was too it.

" Corso, if need be,I will negotiate with Afra, at The Ring, to get the information." he stated.

Corso nodded." She will ask a favour for that information Sonny, and I guarantee you, you are not her favourite person after I left to go with you.I will see what I can do to help. But there will be no fighting, as this an exchange of information. She has one of her crew missing, suspected locked up in a Technoid prison. If we can find and free him, she may be willing to share information" Corso suggested.

Sonny nodded.

"Do you have a name?" he asked.

Corso nodded.

"His name is Nemur"...


	14. Chapter 14

_Once again, we return to the creation of Paranoidgirls The Ring, and her charracters there, speficially, Afra, and now, her number one fan, Nemur. I hope I did them you Paranoidgirl, for allowing me to use your charracters, to make them shine a little._

* * *

The Black Manta was ordered into stealth mode as they reached Chissias orbit. Sonny had already planned the next move.

"Artie, you are on the computers, try to find any way to hack into the military system,without leaving a trace. All information we can extract from Corsos Codes, will be stored on an external drive, wich you remove once the download is complete,you got that?" Sonny asked, as they made ready to depart.

"Got it Sonny. Am I to be alone here?" Artie asked.

Sonny looked to Bennett. It would not be a wise move to leave Artie alone."Bennett, you stay on board as well. This should not take long" he said. Bennett nodded and lifted two fingers to his hat as he saluted his captain. Zarind, Corso and Sonny took the small flying pod and went down to the planet below. Corso looked out the window as they approached. He hated what chissia had become. What he saw now, was far from the planet he recalled from his childhood.

"Once, this was a green planet, now look at what kind of a dump it has become. It is true as they say, war changes you, and your surroundings, in more ways than one." Corso muttered.

"We still got time before we land Corso, how about you tell us a little more about this Nemur that Afra would be interested in?" Sonny asked, not taking his eyes of the flight controls.

Corso nodded. The more they knew about the one they were intending to rescue, the better they could prepare.

"Nemur is a tiny character, worn clothes,and a personality that makes him come close to being Arties twin on a good day, always upbeat,even where he should not be. But what stands out about him is his eyes" Corso said.

"How so?" Sonny asked. Corso smiled.

"You all know what I can do with one cybernetic eye. Nemur happens to have two, and nothing really is hacker proof around him. That may be why Technoid is holding him captive, they may even suspect he is one of us" Corso said. Zarind grinned.

"Well, with abilities like that,he would have been helpful,but his association to The Ring sounds like it is stronger than yours Corso. Or did you leave something out about that?"Zarind asked. Corso shook his head.

"My relationship with The Ring is strichtly buisness Zarind.A way to make a living. I dont have any personal attachments to anything down there. The Ring is an information central, and a place I once used to get all my frustration. It pays ok, and allows a man to forget his ghosts for a while. But that is about it" Corso stated.

Sonny had paid attention to the conversation without speaking. By now, he knew Corso well enough to tell from his tone of voice, if he was being deceptive. And there was no traces of that now.

"The deal we offer, is to locate, and free Nemur, and bring him back. She asks anything else, the deal is off. And that is my final decision" Sonny said.

Corso grinned.

"I would not worry Sonny, Afra is all about Buisness. If she doesnt have the information we seek already, by the time we get back with Nemur, she will have , Afra doesnt think anyone has seen it, but she really cares about the little guy. Maybe because he is her number one fan"Corso mused.

That made Sonny chuckle.

"She did come across as hard as nails last time we were here. She runs a tight ship though, that much was clear.I seriously thought we were gonna leave having achieved nothing" Sonny recalled. And that made Corso grin.

"And then, I could not resist seeing wether you were the pussy you appeared to be, or step up to the plate. Thing is, you took on the fight. That is something I really didnt think you would do. You earned my respect that way"Corso reminded him. Sonny grinned

"Yeah,and not to Magnus liking. You could say he was not happy about the idea" Sonny told them.

"I could have ended you in so many ways that night, but since you were my ticket out of there, I went easy on you Sonny, just roughed you up a little" Corso said casually.

"Really Corso?I never would have guessed, as I felt that roughing up as you called it, for days after" Sonny reminded him mildly. Corso laughed.

"That was just your excuse to get out of the gun training, stop denying the fact will you?"he managed. This made all three of them laugh...

* * *

Afra looked at them from her desk.

"I did not expect to see you back here so soon Blackbones, not after taking my champion fighter with you" she said, looking at all three of them in turn. Corso crossed his arms.

"Leaving was my choice Afra,not Sonnys.I needed a change of scenery." he said. Afra nodded.

"I dont suppose I can convince you to come back either?" she asked, looking at Corso, who shook his head as he wanted to get down to , Sonny spoke up.

"We are seeking information, to access the recordings from Corsos cybernetic eye, on the flux wars, more spesifically, Ascaron, and the explosion that destroyed the planet" he said. Afra looked completely relaxed.

"That is a tall order Blackbones. I may have the information you seek, but it does not come for free. What you request, is military graded. It is risky to access those files,even for my best hackers. The price will be steep. And I am not asking money. I am asking something of higher value" she said, locking eyes with Sonny. Sonny nodded it.

"Corso has a suggestion, if you are willing to make that kind of trade " Sonny said, nodding to Corso to bring the suggestion to the table. Corso pulled out a photo and put it in front of Afra on her desk.

"We know Nemur is held in a Technoid prison barge. Our hackers have located where the barge he is on for the next 48 hours. So my question is Afra,are you willing to make a trade? We get you Nemur back, safe and sound if possible, and you find the information from my cybernetic eye, the information I cant access without exposing my position to them, with all the consequenses that carries?" Corso said. Afra took the picture, as she seemed to weigh the pros against the cons of this for a while, She nodded

"You got yourself a deal pirates. I got some information on the identification code for the prison barge he was taken to. If he is freed, unharmed,I might throw in additional information to what you requested. Anything in particular I should be on the lookout for Corso?" she asked,looking at him. Corso remained neutral,but a glance over at Sonny, revealed he felt what this could reveal,and would want the information. Corso nodded.

"Anything from the time I left with the pirates till now. Also, if others are able to hack into the cybernetic eye I have." he said, looking at Sonny. The expression in his friends eyes told him he got what this could be, and that it needed be dealt with, the sooner the better.

"Got it. Good luck, this barge is tough to break into" Afra said as she handed Sonny a disc,

"This will be the information you need. Good luck to you and your men, you will need it" she said, before making it clear, this meeting was over. The pirates headed back to their flying pod, and returned to The Black Manta...

* * *

"Ok, this is what we got to go on for this rescue mission" Sonny said, as he pulled up all the maps and the information they had gotten from Afra, while overlaying the location map of the prison barge in question, with the information Artie had gotten. Bennett looked sceptical this time.

"I dont know Sonny, this may not be as easy as it looks. This prison barge is a top notch state of the art,maximum security prison." he said. Artie decided to lift the mood.

"Leave the hacking to me my friends.I would take down the entire system if need be" he said.

"That is what Im afraid of Artie, the entire system going down. It is a maximum security prison for a reason kid,some of these prisoners are violent. And we dont want to let those that rightfully needs to be locked up our mission is clear. We are to find and free Nemur, that is it. Got that Artie, or do I need to spesify even closer?" Corso said, leaning on the wall, arms crossed.

"We are not getting anything done if you two will be acting like this. If you cant cooperate in here, then I cant take the both of you into the field. And this time, I need the both of you to pull this off. Artie, Corso, put your differences behind you and work together, or we may as well forget about the mission, and valuable information will be lost, Got it?" Sonny said, and this time, both his body language and his face made sure they knew he was serious.

"Ok Sonny, you are the boss" Corso saluted. Artie nodded as he saluted too. Sonny nodded.

"Good, now, lets get ready for the mission"...

* * *

The prison barge had been really well hidden. Sonny gritted teeth when it finally came into view.

"I would hate to be locked up in here, this place looks very...uninviting" Artie said, speaking for all of them. Corso nodded.

"Some of the galaxys most dangerous prisoners are held here. If let loose, uncontrolled, you really dont want to know what they might do" Corso mused.

"Why place him here in the first place? From the description given, this fellow sounds rather fun to be around. You would not happen to know something about him you have not shared Corso?" Bennett asked. Corso sighed,

"How does unnervingly plucky sound to you Bennett?" he grinned

"Well, that cleared everything up, and this sounds like a lot of fun" he said. Bennett was not convinced.

"It sounds like we will have two Arties onboard" he said, and grinned at Corso."Oh brother, this is sure to get on my last nerves" Corso muttered.

"Cheer up Corso,it cant be all that bad" Sonny tried, as he was getting ready. Corso looked at him.

"You will see soon enough what I meant Sonny"...

* * *

The prison barge was possibly even more depressing than Chissia, with its dark hallways and endless doors to get through.

"Remind me,if I ever get locked up,to have a hidden key card to get out" Artie said, loud without thinking of here they he was already getting on Corsos last nerve.

"Artie, do I need to remind you once again to keep your voice down? If not, you may find yourself to experience the inside of a cell here, all alone. This is not a place where we would all be put in the same cell, quite the contrary" Corso reminded him. Artie looked scared at him.

"You mean, we would be in a cell all alone?" he asked. Corso nodded. Sonny checked the map they had.

"To the right, this would be the cell area we are looking for" he said.

From there on, the whole operation was pretty smooth sailing. Bennett assisted Artie with the hacking, so they could easily free Nemur. Corso suggested a mild sedative till they were on board the Black Manta and on their way back. He looked at Nemur.

"Afra is gonna be real happy to see you again Nemur,I would say there is a chance she will soften the minute you are back" Corso said as he removed the blindfold that Technoid had put on him. Sonny was right behind him, and now he could see what the blindfold was really for.

"That is a first. Two cybernetic eyes,Must be an interesting story behind that"Sonny mused. Corso nodded.

"There is Sonny, but it is not mine to tell. That would be for Nemur himself to decide." Corso said. Sonny smiled.

"Let him rest, till we make our way back to Chissia. I got a feeling it will do him some good,a little beauty sleep before he sees his idol again" Sonny smirked. Corso chuckled.

"Dont let him hear you say that,he may take offence"...

* * *

Nemur had woken up as they arrived Chissia, and Corso went to see him.

"Corso,So happy to see you" Nemur said, getting up, and trying to hug Corso, who was looking for a way to avoid it.

"Sorry, I forgot. No public display of emotions still goes huh?" he said as Corso nodded slowly. Then, he noticed Sonny by the door.

"Who would the Blonde Adonis be? New face at The Ring? A new challenger, or Afras new Champion?" Nemur eyed Sonny closer.

"He is a strong one, would be an excellent fighter and..." Corso looked at him.

"He is not associated with The Ring Nemur, neither am I any more. But to do the introduction properly, This is Sonny Blackbones, the leader of the Shiloh Pirates, and also, my boss. I left The Ring to train him when he was a rookie. And good thing I did, or he would easily have been your next door cell mate now." he said. Sonny walked up next to Corso, and held out his hand. Nemur took it.

"The leader of the pirates eh? Wanted for two million standard units last time I heard, That Sonny Blackbones?" he asked.

"The one and only" Sonny held his hand.

"It is an honour to shake hands with a true leader. Are you sure you dont want a go in The Ring? I am sure you are an excellent fighter, you may even take Corso one on one" Nemur said,hoping to bring a present to Afra. Corso chuckled.

"Too late Nemur. Sonny has already fought me in The Ring, and he lost. That is how I got to be his instructor. But true, he is a strong fighter. He gave me a right hook that I felt for a few days" Corso admitted with smile. Nemur nodded.

"I really missed out with that one huh?" he said. Corso nodded."Id say you did". Sonny nodded.

"Time to bring you home Nemur, I believe Afra is waiting for you"...

* * *

Afra was not one to display emotions,but this time, she found it hard to not show anything when Nemur walked towards her. A few words was spoken between them, before she rose in her full height, adressing the three pirates.

"You kept your end of the deal, now it is my turn to keep mine." she said, and handed them a memory stick.

"A lot of the information is recent, and as you probably could guess,it is being remotely viewed, from somewhere outside of Chissia" she said. Sonny and Corso looked at each other. both thought the same thought. Afra had more on her mind.

"Nemur, can you escort Mr Zarind out?I need to speak to Sonny and Corso, in person" she said. Nemur nodded, and held the door open for Zarind. Afra bade Sonny and Corso sit down.

"Gentlemen,I think you have had your suspicion, especially you Corso, that someone has hacked into your cybernetic eye, and is remotely viewing your every move. But the interesting thing, is the starting point. There is no such hacking found, before Magnus and Sonny arrived here,to recruit you for the pirates. The findings are rather odd. And it seems, in particular, it is the interactions between the two of you that this person is watching. Or rather, what goes on when the two of you are in the cabin, alone, to try to sleep" she said, and pulled up a list of videos, clearly from Corsos cybernetic eye. They could even see the more tender moments, where they had locked hands that night. Corso was fuming.

"Who in Shilohs name would take such an interest in what we speak of among ourselves Sonny? It is not like this is military secrets or anything" Corso said. Afra rubbed her chin.

"I suspected you would ask Corso, so I dug a little deeper, trying to figure out where the hacking came from. It was intricate,as it is very encoded and scrambled to be made difficult. I got a sense whoever is behind this, has a military background, a high ranking one too" she said.

Corso gritted teeth.

"We both know who Sonny, the question now is, why? And how do we deal with it?" he asked.

Sonny seemed to be the answer was more than obvious. But why?

"The who, is clearly Bleylock, the why is, he was not being truthful in what he expressed that night in his torture chamber, and the solution to cut him off, is you get a replacement cybernetic Corso, one the military dont have access to the frequenzy of." Sonny said.

Corso nodded. As they left Afras office, she looked at him.

"Take Care Corso,you have found your place now.I hope you will also find what your heart truly is seeking there" she said. Corso nodded, as he followed Sonny.

Nemur entered as they left.

"So,Corso finally has found someone he cares deeply for huh?" he asked.

Afra nodded.

"It became very obvious from the look of things. It is not fully formed yet, but bound to happen. I just hope Sonny Blackbones past will not be what ultimately becomes his end"...


	15. Chapter 15

Sonny was looking over the parts for the new cybernetic eye that was to be made for Corso. To keep Bleylock from getting more information, Corso had taken out the cybernetic and put a patch over his eye, until the replacement was ready. The old cybernetic eye was cleaned, and put in a box that would not allow any signals to escape. Sonny put on his goggles, and went to put the cybernetic eye together. even the slightest mistake could not be allowed if it was to work like he wanted. Finally, Sonny took his goggles of and inspected it

."There we go,it is ready" he smiled, and called Corso to the lab. As Corso entered, Sonny could not help but smile at the eye patch.

"Looking like a real old time pirate there Corso" he chuckled.

Corso grinned, and played along.

"Aargh, wheres my bottle of rum laddie?" he tried, sounding so much as a pirate from old movies, it made Sonny lean on his arms, laughing out hard. When he was able to compose himself, Sonny bid Corso sit down. Then, Corso removed the eye patch, and exposed the hole where his real eye should have been. Sonny involuntarily shuddered at the sight. Corso noticed.

"Oh come now Sonny, dont you tell me you find this off putting? You have seen worse" Corso reminded him, and pulled him back to the present. It was true, there really was nothing was worse than the times they had come too late,and had to bring the dead bodies of pirates, or families of pirates, to the final resting place. So many had been through the process with Technoid, and it never got easier to deal with. Sonny knew better than to go there,but seeing that hole, partly reminding of a dead person, except for the tissue around being well. Sonny took a small tube of a salve he had prepared.

"Before putting the new one in, let us take care of the surrounding tissue, it looks like you have neglected that for a while" Sonny said. Corso grinned.

"Yes Doctor, Ill be a good boy from now on" he said. Sonny nodded, and carefully applied the salve with his finger, having slim fingers made it easy for him to tend to Corso. But this salve was still being perfected. And from Corsos reaction, he needed to tweak it more. Carefully, Sonny attached the new eye. Corso clenched his hands to the pain.

"How does that feel?" he asked.

"Better, I can see with two eyes again " Corso smiled. Sonny nodded with a smile.

"Im a bit worried about the surrounding tissue Corso, it is deteriorating fast, faster than it should. It could lead to rejection of the new eye" he said, feeling worried. Corso nodded.

"I will manage Sonny, dont worry too much about this".

If it had only been that easy. Sonny kept a close eye on Corso, and things was not improving, on the contrary, it worsened. And by now, he was worried.

So,Sonny had secretly gone about trying to rework the salve, to it being non itchy, wich he knew Corso had an issue with, and secondly, to stop the tissue deterioration. So far, he had not found one solution that would work long time. Sonny had studied some more recent research that an old friend from his technoid days was involved in. Off course, he had kept his identity concealed, as he was not sure he could trust anyone associated with this was where a promising lead showed up. Sonny read carefully through the research reports, and realised this was where he needed to work from. And to make this new salve would work, he needed biological components that would prove a match to Corso. And it had to be done secretly. He was not going to raise any hopes,until he had something to show for. having read through a particular interesting report on the most recent research, Sonny made a call. To learn more,he needed to go in undercover, he knew how to go about creating a secondary identity, and all that came with it. All thanks to Magnus Blade, who had taught him the importance of this. Corso could not know of this at this point. He was doing this to save his life. But it carried a considerable risk to himself. Sonny sighed. He had looked at all possibilities. He had to disguise himself, and enter enemy territory, Technoid territory,to have this solved. And if he was found out, he would have no back up. Dangerous, for sure, but he was left with no choice. If not,he was not sure how long Corso could remain alive. And he was not about to let Corso die...

* * *

Corso was furious.

"What do you mean? How could you let him go? He has a bounty on his head, and from all the data that he just thought he erased, Artie was still able to find out what he had studied. And where he has gone of to? Straight into the lions den. He may just have served Technoid a gift. If they figure him out now, he is in real trouble, with no back up" he yelled at the men, who looked down. Bennett had joined.

"What are we to do Corso? There is a reason behind this. We just have to trust that Sonny has good reason and a plan behind this" he said carefully. Corso nodded.

"We will be the back up plan. Start tracking his transmitter" Bennett nodded.

"Eh..that may be difficult.."Artie held up a disturbingly familiar transmitter.

"All his normal clothes are also here. That would mean Sonny is in disguise for whatever he is doing. Lets not blow his cover" Artie nodded. Corso nodded. But this did not feel good.

"Be careful Sonny, or this may prove to be your doom"...

* * *

Technoid Base...

Not the most cheerful place of the galaxy, true that, but this was the destination to get things done. Sonny had made sure to keep himself under the radar. Even disguised, given he had worked here, he did run a risk. As long as Bleylock was not around, he should be able to blend in. Sonny knew who he was seeking. Professor Sam Aaronson. The man who had done the research. Off course, he could have contacted him through a courier, but Sonny did not know for sure what side he was had to go in, personally. Sonny had already found him. And followed him to the laboratory. As he entered a lab, Sonny snuck in behind him.

"Professor Aaronson?" he said silently. He saw the other man froze over.

"I'Son? But..how?" he stammered, and looked at him. Sonny nodded.

"Yes Professor,Its me.I have come, because I need your help to help a friend. You created a formula, one that stops tissue deterioration for those with cybernetics.I have a friend, in need of that kind of help. Can you help me help him?" he asked. Professor Aaronson looked at him. Then, he smiled.

"I can I'Son. there is a risk involved here, for you in particular. Bleylock is still looking for you. You are not really safe with him on your tail,I know you changed names now. So,what name should I call you by?" he asked with a smile. Sonny grinned.

"I abide by both names, but Sonny is the name I feel most comfortable with" he Aaronson nodded.

"Then Sonny it is. Did you bring what samples is needed to create a formula for a spesific person?I was not too happy with how Technoid has abused my research, and I am not the only one he did that to, as you well know" he said. Sonny nodded, he knew exactly what Professor Aaronson meant.

"Tell me professor, is he threatening members of your family or blackmailing you? That has been his normal mode of operandi before"he asked. Professor Aaronson nodded.

"Yes, he threatens my family. I would leave if I could but..." Sonny nodded.

"Ill have the pirates take care of it, and bring them to safety. You will be notified, and help to escape will be given if you need it." Sonny said. Professor Aaronson nodded.

"Then,I accept your offer Sonny. But lets tend to what you came seeking my help for. Your friends health"He said.

Sonny nodded, and pulled a small blood sample he had taken from Corso, to find the best donor. There was tests from all of his crew as well. Sonny put them before the professor, who quickly tested them. And the 'No Match' message became a repeat. Professor Aaronson looked at him.

"The only one that I have not tested, is a sample from you Sonny. If your friend Corso is lucky, you may be the one that saves him, if not.." he let the words hang. Sonny nodded, and allowed the sample to be pulled. This time, they both held their breath, as the process seemed to take also kept an eye on the entrance. This was the lions den, and it was the last place he wanted to end up trapped in. He looked at the screen. 98 percent finished. Sonny felt his heart start to race. If he could not help Corso, then who could?would this be the end of a friendship that was quickly growing deeper by the day? He still had some feelings about this to unpack. His mind wandered off to the times Corso had fallen asleep next to him, how he had woke up after the harrowing night where Bleylock had broken two of his ribs, feeling Corso behind him,arm slung around him, and his own hand, locked tightly with his, the fingers interlocked.. He had not taken the time to get into why, but waking up like this, felt good. Good in a way that also made him feel like he was cheating on his diseased wife. It felt good, to be that close to another human being again. He had not allowed himself to really feel anything since his wife died. Helena..Sonny still felt a sting of guilt when he thought back on the day he last saw her. That look in her eyes, pained, after the crash, the question, why was this happening to them, what had he gotten involved in, that had made them become fugitives. And he had no answer to give. All he could do, was to try to get them to safety, before Technoid found them. And that had failed too, the same way he ultimately had failed, in destroying the weapon he had mistakenly created, and he had caused the glaciation of an entire planet, through his actions. Maybe he actually deserved what cards he had been dealt. Too bad he was not willing to accept it. Sonny looked up as the computer signaled...Match! He was a match to Corso. He was the key to save his friends life. Sonny let out a sigh of relief. The professor nodded.

"Then,we need to proceed to the next stage of the process Sonny. To create this formula, I need biological components from you, to fabricate the salve you seek to make. But this part is risky, and it leaves you vulnerable.I need you to come with me, to my quarters. I need to extract bone marrow from your spinal core,to make sure we got the strongest version possible. This procedure will weaken you for a few days. And you are exposed here Sonny. At my quarters, you will be safe, and I can tend to you. You will be bedridden though. Whatever happens, you stay in bed, till I know you have the strength to be up and about. I am not letting you head back unless I am sure you can safely make it." Professor Aaronson said. Sonny nodded this. And for Corsos sake, he would do it. Sonny nodded it with a grin.

"Thank you professor. With your help, Corso stands a fighting chance" he said. Professor Aaronson nodded with a smile.

"I hope your friend knows just how much he means to you, coming here is not the healtiest place to be for you Sonny, Thank Goodness Bleylock is not here. If he suspected you being around, he would not stop till he found you" he said. Sonny nodded.

"I know, wich is why I am in disguise" he said. Professor Aaronson nodded.

"Yes Sonny, and even looking like I'Son, you are running a big risk. The scientists are split here. Some support you, others are too scared at what Technoid will do to their loved ones to dare go against him. Sonny, you did the one thing many of us wish we had the courage to do Sonny,and if what Bleylock said was true, you paid a stiff price for it what Bleylock said about your wife and child is true..." He shook his head. Sonny sighed.

"For once, he was telling the truth professor. I can't return to a company that does things like this. I just can't" he said. Professor Aaronson nodded.

"You got heart Sonny, that is for sure. Lets head to my quarters and get this taken care off shall we?" he asked, getting ready to leave. Sonny nodded. But just to be on the safe side, he hid a tiny spy cam wich would allow him to keep eyes on the lab and the professor when he left...

* * *

They had reached the professors quarters. Professor Aaronson made sure they were not seen as they approached. Sonny stayed in the shadows and out of range of any cameras until professor Aaronson had opened the door. As soon as they were inside, Professor Aaronson locked up the door. Sonny checked his surroundings. Standard Technoid living quarters, only the most needed living accommodations was fitted. To have better treatment than this, you had to be on their radar somewhere, and planned for a bigger project. He knew, he had lived it...until.. Better not go there for now. Professor Aaronson made things ready, then he gave a sign for Sonny to lie down on a bed that was concealed inside a wall, on his stomach. Sonny had prepared himself as best he could, but the needle that pierced his spine had an unexpected effect, and it hurt. Sonny fought to hold back a yelp of pain. Professor Aaronson nodded.

"True Sonny, this procedure does hurt,I wish there was something I could do to ease it,but it may be the only way for your friend. If I can get safely out,I will happily be of assistance when new marrow needs be extracted. With your skills, I am sure you will tweak it even further to fit your friends needs. But we cant take out too much marrow at the time. It would leave you bedridden and the more we extract,the more at risk you will be while here." he said. Sonny nodded.

"Dont worry about me Professor, I will pull through. What matters is Corso does too" he said. The professor nodded.

"Corso would be your right hand man right? He really has a boss with a kind heart in you" he smiled. Sonny managed a nod before a new wave of pain made him grit teeth, as The professor started the extraction process.

"Lay down Sonny,and try to relax as much as you can. It will hurt less that way. I will only keep this going for thirty minutes. When it is done, You best sleep. I will make sure it is safe for you in the meanwhile" he said.

Sonny nodded, but the level of pain this produced was evident. He was sweating, and he felt like a fever was building. The question in his eyes had to have been evident. The professor smiled compassionately.

"You will feel this the next three days Sonny. The best treatment for you, will be sleeping though it. I am aware of you allergies, so I got rememdies here that wont affect you too badly.I will ask you to eat gelatine based food while here, as that will help your body produce new marrow faster, and that will get you safely out. But I will hold you here for three days. To make sure you did not get injured from this procedure". Sonny nodded as he laid down. Soon after, he fell asleep. Professor Aaronson smiled as he looked at the pirate chief. He was not going to turn this man in. He was honoured he was sought out for help with this would rather help save lives than cause hurt. And Sonny had a well established reputation as just and honest. Well, not within Technoid off course. But any one that cared to dig deeper and use their eyes to see, would be able to tell the truth from Technoids stories. He looked at the other man again. Sonny was running a fever now, and was warm to the touch. Professor Aaronson smiled.

"I will make sure you stay safe Sonny Blackbones. The galaxy needs more of your kind. I hope you will be able to fight Technoid. Too much exploits of innocent people take place everyday. You were once one of us, now, you may be the one offering the ones in need, a way out. I just hope it wont come at the price of your own freedom"...

* * *

Sonny had woken up later that night, bathing in sweat. Professor Aaronson could see the sweat dripping from his torso, and had put on cooling blankets, to reduce the fever. Sonny was still having pains from the procedure, but it seemed to calm down slightly. The professor was about to make him a light gelatine based meal, to boost his recovery, when he happened to glance out the porthole on his kitchen. A ship was approaching the docking area. And not just any ship. The professor felt cold when he recognized General Bleylocks ship. He looked over at Sonny. If the general was here, and Sonny was this weakened, this could end in disaster, and worse, Sonnys capture.

"May all the good forces of the galaxy be with us" he whispered...


	16. Chapter 16

Professor Aaronson dimmed the lights down to make it appear no one was home. Sonny was still in pain from the extraction. He wanted to give him something to sleep on, but despite the pain, Sonny had told him no. He needed be alert, if Bleylock started sniffing around. The following days, Professor Aaronson used a special system that allowed him to keep an eye on Sonny, while he was working. Sonny wanted to avoid raising suspicion. Anything out of the ordinary would alert Technoid and more spesifically, Bleylock. The last thing they needed, was Bleylock starting to sniff around, especially around Professor Aaronsons quarters, where Sonny was hiding in a concealed room. But if Technoid had the right tools, they would find him, and no one knew what would happen then. Professor Aaronson had made sure he had no big lectures going on these days, so he could take care of Sonny. Despite the pain, Sonny had forced himself to eat the meals he had prepared for him. The professor had deliberately increased the level of gelatine in his food, to help him recover faster. He also made sure to examine Sonny thoroughly, to make sure no permanent injury had bee done to his back the first two days,Sonny had been resting a lot,as the pain was immense. But now, he was feeling better. The professor was pleased after the examination.

"How is things looking Professor?" Sonny asked,turning ever so slightly.

Professor Aaronson smiled.

"You do recover fast Sonny, and that is to your advantage" he said.

Sonny smiled, as he carefully sat up. Professor Aaronson checked the puncture mark on his back.

"You look to have made a full recovery Sonny, good as new" he smiled.

"Thanks to your help" Sonny smiled.

Professor Aaronson smiled. Then, he looked out the porthole.

"General Bleylock has arrived at Technoid Base Sonny, I have managed to keep all images from the lab out of the system, but if he overrides my command.." he said.

Sonny nodded understandingly.

"I will be making my way back tonight Professor. I dont want to put you in any further danger by staying. General Bleylock is vindictive. He finds out I am here, he wont stop till he has me seized" Sonny said thoughtfully.

Professor Aaronson nodded.

"You were neither dressed as a Technoid employee nor a pirate. That may help you avoid detection..." he suggested.

Sonny shook his head.

"Bleylock will use my wanted poster. The robots are programmed to recognize me. That alone is sure to alert Techoid. If I can make it to where my flying pod is hidden..." he mused.

Professor Aaronson was concerned.

"If it is found, there will be a search party out to track you..." he said.

Sonny nodded.

"I left it in a stealth mode. I can locate it, and get in. But it is true, until I reach it,I am vulnerable to attack.." he admitted.

Professor Aaronson smiled.

"Not completely Sonny. You remember the old science projects we had back in the day?" he said.

Sonny nodded with a grin. as he remembered what Professor Aaronson was refering to.

"That was just us playing around when we got bored, but you are right, it just might work" he said.

Professor Aaronson nodded.

"Then, I suggest we prepare some ammunition for your departure"..

* * *

It felt good to be back in his office, and his quarters. The hunt for the pirates was proving futile out in space. Sonny had numerous escape routes, and finding someone willing to rat him out, and tell where he would be hiding, was mission impossible. It was almost as if he had vanished. And that made Bleylock even more angry. Sonny Blackbones would not escape him. He had managed to pin the glaciation of Akillian on him, and Labnor. And Labnor was also missing, not to be found. Could the two of them have met after the disaster, and teamed up behind his back? Nothing was impossible. And from what his informers had been able to find about Sonny Blackbones, where he and his pirates had their base was a hidden secret to most pirates. If you did not know someone on board his ship, you would not locate him. And his crew seemed to form a solid wall of protection around him too. Then, there was his right hand man, Corso. A former soldier. And until very recently, he had kept track of Sonny that way, through tracking Corsos cybernetic eye. It seemed the two of them had grown very close. Not yet lovers, but close. And from the images from the cabin they shared, it seemed Corso was either already sleeping with him, or it would happen at some point soon. The two cared about each other more deeply than any of them wanted to admit. And he knew Sonny was not completely cold to the idea of a male partner either. It had been years now, and all he had managed to find, indicated Sonny was not dating any female pirates, he had a contact that had seen him. Corso would date from time to time, as a stress reliever, but Sonny seemed to have decided on some kind of celibacy. Or maybe he finally realised he could pick any girl from the top shelf, if what he wanted was purely physical satisfaction. Sonny was not meant to tie himself down in a marrige and family man situation. He was too brilliant and clever for that. And if Corso made his move, Sonny would realise that this offer from his right hand man would not work for him either, and then, open up for him to find him again and..then what General?

Bleylock looked into all the surveillance videos from the labs. Buisness as usual. Until he reached Professor Aaronsons lab. Either, no one had been in there, and the key cards said it had, or it had been deliberately erased, at least on a lower level clearance. Well, he had full clearance on Technoid, and he would override whatever this was.

As he did, he noticed, Professor Aaronson was not alone. Someone else was in the room, but seemed to deliberately stay in the shadows, to avoid detection. Bleylock looked closer. Something about the man hiding in the shadows struck him as familiar. Maybe... Bleylock activated the voice recording. As he heard the voice, he realised he had made it to Technoid Base just in time.

"You will not escape this time Sonny. I will make sure you dont return to the pirates this I have to use force to get you back, I will" he said.

Bleylock wasted no time. He activated his tiny army of Robots.

"Find Sonny Blackbones, and seize him" he orderd...

* * *

Sonny had parted with professor Aaronson, with a raw mix of the new salve for Corso,one he planned to add an additional ingredient to. It could cool the affected and surrounding area of Corsos scull down, so it would not itch. Getting out of bed, without pain, had been Professor Aarons first demand. The second had been for him to move around without pain, and to have normal body funtion. That, or the professor would hold him hidden until he could do so without pain. Sonny smiled. And now, he also had the information on Professor Aaronsons family and their last known whereabouts. As soon as Sonny had found them, and had them relocate to Shiloh, where they were safe from Technoid,Professor Aaronson would let them know when he was ready to leave Techoid Base. Sony had warned him that doing so would not be so easy, as Technoid was known to either delete their former employees memories, or he would become like him, a wanted pirate. Professor Aaronson had made it clear, pirate life was not for him. He just wanted out of Technoid and their dealings. Sonny had given it some thought and come up with the solution that the professor could change identity and start over with his family. This was more what Professor Aaronson wanted, and he had taken Sonny up on this offer of help. As he left his quarters, Sonny was very cautious and moved through the shadows where he could. Technoid base was well known to him, both for the small good times, and the overwhelmingly bad ones. Sonny shook his head. This was not the time, nor the place to dwell on the past. He needed to be on his way back. His flying pod was not far. As Sonny made his way towards where the flying pod was hidden, he noticed General Bleylocks ship, docked just like it was an omen.. Sonny continued his movement forth. Finally,he reached the flying pod,and entered it. Sonny activiated the flying systems, and prepared his take off. As silent as possible, he exited the Technoid Base. So far, so good. Sonny finally contacted The Black Manta, and came face to face with a worried Corso.

"Sonny! You scared the living daylights out of us. What the hell were you up to?" Corso yelled.

Sonny knew Corso was well within his right to be angry. He had broken just about any rule of safety on board his own ship. He did owe his men an explanation.

"Ill explain as I return CorsoIm on my way now." he said.

Corso nodded.

"It had better be a good one" he said in a warning tone...

* * *

Sonny had applied the enhanced salve to Corsos eye socket. He watched as Corso visibly relaxed and sighed.

"Ah, that was delicious. No itching, and it cools down the skin as well" Corso sighed.

Sonny nodded,relieved the effect of the salve was as he had hope for.

But Corso was not finished.

"Sonny...we need to speak about this" Corso sighed.

Sonny nodded. He knew it was coming.

"Sonny, we all love you to death on board, but you cant keep doing this. I admit, this time, it ended well, but that might not be the case next time. Bleylock and Technnoid are dangerous enemies, we cant underestimate them Sonny. If you grow too cocky, that may end in you being captured. And that is one very real fear all of us has. It is why you have the transmitter you have. No matter what happens, we need to be able to track you, to get you back to safety." Corso said.

And he could tell, Sonny was taking what he said to heart.

"You are right Corso. Forgive me. I got caught up in what I could do to save you" Sonny admitted.

Corso nodded slowly as he heard this.

"Sonny, I love you, you mean the galaxy to me, but just the same,I cant let you continue to put yourself in harms way. One day, something will happen, and without your transmitter, how are we to find you?With what I know about Bleylock now, the way he looked at you,what happened in the past, I am not about to let him lay hands on you ever again." Corso said, looking at Sonny for an answer.

Sonny nodded.

"I got no good answer to give Corso, other than I was acting on instinct. I saw the tissue deterioration. It needed be dealt with and fast. I did not have a good enough formula, but an old co worker of mine did. I could not tell you, as you would have stopped me from going. But the result, is something that does work. Just like you care for me, I also care for you. I could not just sit by and watch, knowing I could have done something to stop it." Sonny said.

Corso nodded.

"True, but no more heroics as of now Sonny. We cant afford to have you taken by Technoid. And there is no one that will allow it either." he said.

Sonny nodded.

"Thanks Corso, for being who you are, and the voice of reason. Even I need to hear it sometimes." he said.

This made Corso smile.

"Always Sonny. I will be at your side, as long as you need it" he said.

Sonny nodded, and placed his hand on Corsos shoulder with a grin.

"I know Corso. We got a purpose now, and we will stick to it. The truth about Technoids dealings, and what happened to our loved ones and friends. We will find out. This, I promise" Sonny said.

Corso nodded.

"This is when the tables turn. Watch out Technoid, The Shiloh pirates just became more than pirates, we now became vigilates"...


	17. Chapter 17

Corso wiped his forehead. Finally, the shooting practice of the day was done. The recruits was promising. But a lot of work remained. Well, that was why he was the instructor on the gun range. As he checked the results, he looked up, and saw Sonny come in, his gun in hand. This made him smirk.

"Ready for the accuracy test now?" he teased.

Sonny smirked back at him.

"I have practised Corso, no worries, I will not shoot the entire place down." he said.

Corso chuckled.

"You just focus on hitting the target.I am still the one that is gonna tell you if you made it or not" he grinned.

Sonny grinned at him.

"Then lets get this test done" he said.

Corso was really pleasantly surprised when he viewed Sonnys results.

They were on target, and Sonny was comfortable with the weapon now. Corso kept an eye on him on the shooting range. Sonny appeared focused, not needing to hold his arm still, and he was proving to be an excellent marksman. But Corso still felt a field test would benefit Sonny. A test where marksmanship to survive would help him overcome this fear he seemed to have when it came to kill or be killed. As a former soldier, Corso knew this was a skill that would help him survive if things grew tough. And no matter if it was as a soldier or a pirate, it was a skill that could mean the difference of life or death. Corso snapped out of his trail of thoughts, as Sonny looked up from the last round, and put down his weapon. Corso looked at the results.

"Shooting like that, I would be terrified to meet you in a dark alley. Especially if you are out to rob me." Corso joked.

Sonny nodded.

"I feel more comfortable with it now, but I got the feeling, I might need a final kind of test, like a field test." Sonny mused.

Corso grinned.

"You must be considering taking up mind reading as a second job Sonny, I could have sworn you just read my exact thoughts." he said.

Sonny grinned.

"That would have been a useful tool to have, next time you plan something behind my back" he chuckled.

Corso grinned.

"It needs be two way, so I will know next time you are up to something that could get you into trouble, in that case,I will do all in my power to stop you" he warned him.

This just caused Sonny to laugh.

"We think alike on this Corso,a field test of my skills would be useful, even necessary. So far, I have only been on the gun range. For me to really test myself on this, I need the test in an environment I am not familiar with." he mused.

Corso grinned.

"I think I may have an idea Sonny"...

* * *

Sonny looked like he had an idea all right, an idea that sounded more like survival in the wild on only what they could find there, than a test of his marksmanship. Corso excited the flying pod with two backpacks.

"This should get us through the next three days out here. You have come a long way with your skills Sonny,and you are becoming a great marksman, but I notice you still hesitate with killing, even in the hour of need." Corso said with a small smile.

"Sonny, I think you know, I did not bring you here just to test your skills. I brought you here to train you in overcoming that inner block you have at this point, I worry that you may choke when it really counts, and that will either allow for your capture, or worse, it may result in your death. When I fought you at The Ring, I knew I would win, you did not have it in you to beat me that night. I knew, Afra knew, everyone that knew me, knew I would defeat you. And I have said it before, you were my ticket out, my reason to leave The Ring. I made a promise Sonny, a promise to be in charge of your training, a promise to make sure you could defend yourself, and stay alive.I am making good on that promise now, by keeping you isolated from the safety of the ship, for three days. We will use the military training I once had, to survive, and live off what is available. Out here, be it animal or human, even a robot, you need to go about your instincts to survive. I Will share my knowledge of how to survive with you, and I will make you kill an animal if that is necessary for our survival. It is necessary for you to grow thicker skin Sonny, that or prepare yourself for your capture, wich will happen." Corso said.

Sonny had listened attentively at him.

"I think these days will be proving to be very valuable.I just might surprise you." he mused.

Corso grinned.

"I hope you know how to set up a tent.I hope I did not bring a total true blue rookie with me out here." he grinned.

Sonny sent him a small smile.

"I may be a rookie in some areas, but not all. So the answer is, I am not that much a of a rookie,I might surprise you Corso"...

* * *

He had surprised him all right. Sonny had set camp, and it had surpassed his expectations. In addition, Sonny made sure to do the catch of the food they were having this evening. Grilled Salmon. Corso had taken on the job of making the food since Sonny had caught it. While Sonny took a closer inspection of what tools he had available to himself out here in the wilderness, Corso prepared the fish.

"Time to eat" he said, and handed Sonny the spear with the fish.

Sonny nodded, and used his hands to break off pieces to eat. Corso noticed the calm Sonny had in the outdoors.

"Seems you have some experience of this from the past. I did not know you were used to the outdoors. You never struk me as the type." Corso commented.

Sonny nodded this.

"That is true Corso, some of the more happy memories from my childhood. I used to do these things with my father. Good times." he recalled.

Corso nodded.

"My father,all I can remember, is he was working all the time, we never saw much of him. It was my mother, Neeka,my younger brother,Kuun, and me. My father was just in and out, not really present in our family." Corso recalled.

Sonny nodded as he ate.

"Sounds very different from mine, where my parents was a close unit,My mom was Cynthia, and my Dad Evander. Then, there was me, the first born, and my younger sister, Kathy." Sonny smiled as he said that.

Corso nodded.

"Are they still alive to your knowledge? And do they know why you are who you are today?" he asked.

Sonny nodded affirmatively as he emptied the water bottle.

"Magnus made sure of that when I joined. He made sure they were informed that I was ok, that I would be held in safe surroundings, and they could contact me if need be. I still hear from them when there is a need for it, but they chose to remain in a hidden part of the Archipelago. To keep Technoid from going after them, in an effort to capture me. If Technoid had them, they would force me out of hiding, and make me an easy capture." he admitted.

Corso nodded. This cleared up all he had wanted to know. And it did not make him feel jealous to hear this. He felt relieved.

As they were finishing, Corso noticed the dark rings under Sonnys eyes.

It was like the camp fire made it even more clear than normal,that he did not get enough sleep. And that made Corso make a decision. They had a make shift shelter made, and Corso knew Sonny needed rest.

"You get some sleep Sonny. There will be plenty to do in the morning. I can tell you need to rest.I will do the watch while you sleep. Dont object, you look like a raccon right now." he said.

Sonny nodded. They used only what they could find to stay undetected, and less traceable to anyone. Sonny used a few branches to cover himself, before he went to sleep. That left Corso to think about his own situation. In many ways, so much like Sonny, they were like twins, in others, he had been dealt bad cards, and Sonny a slightly better hand from the look of things. Corso smiled as he looked into the darkness behind the fire. He looked at his check list with a smile. There was a chance this would be a lot easier than he had thought...

* * *

The following day was hunting day. Corso was impressed with Sonnys skills in moving without a sound, and take out his prey. All forms of weapon seemed to suit him. But not the gun. Corso knew Sonny could handle himself well without it, but he still figured to be necessary. How could he preform a test where Sonny had no choice but rely on his skills with marksman ship?Corso had taken a walk in the area, when he discovered a real gem. It looked like an oasis, of clear water. And it seemed Sonny had already located it. As Corso saw a splash, when Sonny hit the surface of the water from close to their campsite. To see him jump in, allowed Corso to see the muscles he had developed. Nemur had been right, Sonny did look like an adonis. As Sonny broke the water surface, Corso could see him visibly relax. A relaxed smile was seen on his face. Then, it was like he sensed he was watched. While he thread the water, Sonny looked around. He saw Corso smirk at the edge of the tiny lake.

"That is a sight,I did not think you knew how to relax Sonny, at least not without some help. Thats the most relaxed I have seen you since we first met." he laughed.

Sonny laughed as he got out of the water. For Corso, this became a new experience. He had never noticed Sonny act this way before, so relaxed, even quickly combed through his hair with his fingers. Corso took the time to study his friend, It seemed the swim had done him good. Sonny allowed the warmth of the sun to dry him off. He had used his underwear to swim in. Corso grinned to himself. Sonny loved the outdoors, but he still had his inhibitions. Close to a nature child, but not quite there. He was cut off by Sonny looking teasingly at him. Sonny pointed to the water. Clearly, it was time for him to take a bath.

"Your turn Corso, after, we go hunting." Sonny smiled.

Corso grinned.

"In one condition Sonny, You use the gun this time. No excuses Sonny, I need to know for sure,that you are able to defend yourself from all harm" he said.

Sonny nodded, more serious now.

"Ok Corso, we will play it your way, now, in the water you go, or I will make you"...

* * *

It had been a good time with the hunting. Corso had expected this to give Sonny the shakes, if anywhere, shooting at a living creature, would pose a block for him. But he had taken out a wild deer, a clean shot to the heart, the animal died instantly, quick and painless. They had eaten well, and the left over meat, had been preserved by the military survival training they had.

"One day left Sonny, and we need to do this during night time as well, you have to master all sides, not just daylight, but most importantly the night. We are pirates, and the night is when we thrive." Corso said as he chowed down on the meat.

Sonny nodded, as the darkness was starting to set in. He looked at his gun,and thought of how it made him feel. He wanted to save lives, not take them. Be it good guys or bad. Killing was not his thing. And he was trying to find a way to work around it. Sonny hated taking lives. An animal, fine, as a way to survive. He knew what Corso was trying to do, and he felt grateful for that moment, the solution to the problem formed in his mind. Sonny smiled. Now he knew how to put an end to the senseless killing. This would take some adjusting for his men, true, but it was necessary.

Sonny took up his gun, held it towards the last of the daylight,to check that all was clean.

"give it 5 hours Corso, then, we do the final test" he said...

* * *

Corso sighed relieved. Sonny had left the rookie stage for good. And his abilities to hit his targets, even in the dark, had proved it. He did not have to worry about the marksmanship anymore. Sonny was fully capable to hold his own. Now, he had to look into the other things Sonny would need practice in. One of them was hand to hand combat. Another, and possibly more important, as it was bound to happen at some point, how to free himself from ropes. Corso had a mental plan about it. Most important of all was it made Sonny stay safe...

It brought up some old memories. In the back of his mind, Corso could hear the shots fired, the screams of his men, the robots getting closer.

Having survived, it made him feel guilty.

He had survived. They had not. Maybe they were the lucky ones. They did not have to live with the memories that he had to. Would he ever be able to put those memories to bed? Corso closed his natural eye, as the pain became close to unbareable.

"Corso? Are you ok?" Sonny said, as he noticed his friends reaction.

Corso seemed to fight to break out of whatever memory he recalled. Sonnys calm hand on his arm helped.

"Im good Sonny, just a bad memory from the past."he said.

Sonny nodded.

"If you ever want to share, I am always here to listen" he smiled.

Corso smiled.

" You passed all tests Sonny, what about we return to the ship?" he suggested.

Sonny grinned.

"All packed and ready to go" he said, as he picked up his backpack...

* * *

With all his men gathered. Sonny made a very unexpected notification.

"No pirate under my command will shoot to kill, friend or enemy. We can injure to prevent them from following us, but no deadly shots. Anyone breaking this rule, is subject to an exile process. I will ask all pirates to pledge to this" Sonny said.

Corso waited for him as they were done with this announcement.

"Sonny, I..I think I need to talk to you.."...


	18. Chapter 18

Hand to hand combat training, teaching the new recruits to avoid being cut with knives..All these tasks fell to him to organize, and it seemed all of the Black Mantas crew needed to brush up on their skills. Sonnys orders off course. He seemed to sense trouble, and was taking precautions for himself and the crew.

Corso was done with the rope fleeing for the day. Sonny had volunteered to help out with the demonstration of the various methods. And Corso grinned, as Sonny had no problems with the ropes, within minutes, he would be free.

"Think we need to change your last name Sonny, from Blackbones to Silkyhands. No rope seems to be able to hold you down. Wich in truth is a relief. That gives Technoid a huge disadvantage" he stated.

Sonny chuckled.

"SilkyHands..That sounds more fitting for a Lady, and last time I checked,I found myself to be male" he grinned.

Corso laughed.

"Sure, A male that could easily mask himself as female should it be needed" Corso laughed.

Sonny laughed too.

"Hardly Corso, I always thought of you as looking better than me in a pink dress and a blonde wig, not to mention high heels" he said.

Corso pretended to pout.

"Very funny Blackbones" he said.

Sonny did not let that stop him from laughing.

"You will get your revenge Corso, during the knife drills"...

* * *

Knife drills demanded focus. They did not play with plastic knives here, they used the real deal, so it was necessary to stay sharp. Sonny had partnered up with him for this drill. And so far, the drill had been pretty routine. Corso had earned himself a reputation as a hardass when it came to this by now. He had fought in the flux wars for crying out loud. It would only be a matter of time, before those special skills he had accuired would have to be used in training. A few of the younger pirates had gotten a bright idea to see what Corso was really good for. They had rigged a few innocent explosive charges, around the training field. It was remote, so the blasts would not attract attention to them. And it would hopefully make Corso show himself as the legend he was made out to be.

Sonny and Corso was unaware that someone had set some small explosive charges around the training field. Corso had learned all he knew about knife attacks in the heat the action, in active war duty, and some of the pirates hoped he would bring out a few tricks they would otherwise not learn. It could have ended well, but they had not asked permission for the explosives to be set. If they knew how sensitive Corso was to this, and that Sonny would have said no, things would have been a normal routine. But these pirates did not know this. and as things progressed, and the charges started to detonate, no one knew if that was the culprit ,or something else, but it created a dangerous situation for the pirates on the ground none the less. The loud bangs, and smoke, was all it took to take Corso back mentally, to the flux wars. And it triggered an anger wich he could not explain from within. The inner visions of dead soldiers, the smell of gun powder, the entire scene was like cut from the wars. Momentarily, Corso lost track of where he was, he was in the battle field again. Sonny noticed what happened, and dropped his knife, trying to find a way to calm eye had told Sonny, Corso was not himself now, and he could end up hurting himself, or others. Sonny carefully walked towards him, speaking in a calm voice, to bring Corso back to the present. That, proved a mistake. The moment Sonny touched Corsos arm, trying to bring him to the ground, Corso reacted on pure instinct. He grabbed Sonny, and wrestled a Sonny caught of guard into a choke hold, knife pressed against his jugular vein, applying pressure. Bennett and Artie looked frightened at them. What was Corso trying to do? Kill his best friend by slicing his throat? Sonny sinalled for his men to stand down. To go against Corso now was dangerous. From his position, he could tell they were looking to disarm Corso. And that could make a bad situation worse. Sonny signaled with his hands,"dont attack him, stay calm,I got it." Sonny carefully placed his hand on Corsos arm, keeping the pressure light, and spoke softly.

"Corso? Are you ok? You are safe Corso, its just dummies, someone played a trick on us. No one is out to harm you, calm down Corso."he asked calmly.

Corso seemed to come to himself. Then, he realised what he was doing, and that Sonny was not an enemy.

Corso removed the knife from Sonnys throat, and threw it away.

Sonny carefully rose from the ground. But he had not noticed the tiny stream of blood from where the knife had grazed him. However, Corso did. And this caused him immense pain.

"Sonny...I...what have I done?" he whispered, falling to his knees, white as a sheet.

Sonny had still not noticed the blood on his throat.

"Corso, Im fine,you didnt hurt me" he said, carefully reaching for his friend.

Corso pulled away.

"You are bleeding Sonny, I hurt you..I could have killed you" he said, his cybernetic flickering in distress.

Sonny put a finger to the tiny grazing on his throat, and saw the blood. No wonder Corso was in such stress.

"Its nothing Corso, I am fine. Just a tiny graze" he said, moving carefully closer.

But Corso held up his hand.

"Dont come any closer Sonny, please.I have hurt you, I..I could have sliced your throat, killed you..my best friend.I..I got to go" he said.

"Corso.."Sonny wanted to follow him, but Zarind stopped him.

"Not now Sonny,give him some time. He was really shook up by this, as are the rest of us" he said.

Sonny nodded.

"Lets get this blood off and put a band aid on,then,I need to talk to him. He looked like he was a haunted man." Sonny said thoughtfully.

Zarind nodded.

"He needs help Sonny, those ghosts could become his undoing. And the fact that it was you he attacked, whom he cares for, more than his own life, it is sure to cut deep, possibly deeper than we know" Zarind said, looking at Corso, who left the training field.

Sonny looked at him.

"Oh Corso, whatever is it you have witnessed that made you this fragile?I will help you through it,you mean too much to me, for me to give up on you now"Sonny whispered...

* * *

Corso was shaking all over. He did not deserve mercy for this. He could have committed murder out there. His own nightmares came to him now. He had seen this scene, but with a different his nightmares, Sonny was laying on the ground, blood dripping from his throat, gasping for air, and him standing over him, with a bloody knife in his hand. It had damn near happened.

He had become a danger to his best friend whom he had sworn his loyalty to. He had held a knife to his throat goddamnit, it had even grazed him. If he had applied pressure a bit harder...Corso tried to calm his breathing. He had to could not allow this to happen to Sonny again.

It was enough that Technoid was on his tail, with a bounty for his capture. The last thing Sonny needed, was a threat towards him, from within his own ranks. He heard a knocking on the door. He looked up as Bennett entered.

"Bennett..I..I am so sorry..I could have killed him.."Corso managed, eye flickering in distress.

Bennett placed a hand on his shoulder.

"He is fine Corso,Zarind examined him thoroughly. Sonny is not injured. Right now,there are two young pirates getting the scolding of their life,They set the charges around the field. Sonny is furious at them for triggering this in you. Sonny is not furious with you though. With you, he is worried. And so am I. That is why I came to see you" Bennett explained.

Corso looked down.

"It should not have happened. When I am like this, I cant be trusted, especially not around Sonny."Corso tried.

Bennett shook his head.

"That is not true Corso, and you know this. Sonny still trusts you. he always will. He is just worried for you,so he told me to speak to you while he did the scolding."Bennett explained.

Corso nodded.

"How is Sonny dealing with those idiots that did that?"he asked.

Bennett shook his head.

"Ask Sonny yourself. He will come to speak to you when he is know,you mean the galaxy and beyond to him Corso. Sonny cares about all of us, and we him, but you have a special place in his life and also his heart. It is not like you try to hide it ..when he found out you had gone to see General Bleylock on your own..I cant even describe it Corso. I have not seen that kind of a frightened look in a mans eyes for years. You dont know my background, and if you did, you would know I have seen my share of horrors and hauntings myself. But when it comes from Sonny and concerns you..it is on a whole new level Corso.I would want to say, Sonny needs you every bit as much as you need him. One without the other when it comes to the two of you..I just cant even imagine it"Bennett confessed.

Corso looked at him.

"And yet Bennett,we came a lot closer to that happening today then I like to think of. It would have taken almost nothing for me to slice his throat, it would have killed him, choking on his own blood. Right now, I pose a danger to him. I cant be trusted"Corso said.

Bennett tried to be supportive.

"Corso,that is not true, and you know Sonny will tell you the same." he said.

Corso nodded. Off course he would. Sonny would not see that by pulling away, he was actually protecting him.

In his mind,Corso had made a decision. He would give it three days. If he could not shake it by then,and earn back the trust he had lost, he would have to distance himself from it all. Take alone time to think, could he really continue with the pirates, after what he had done? Would they still trust him after this? The images of Artie and Bennetts horrified faces, the tiny stream of blood on Sonnys throat, Sonnys calm and soft demeanour towards him after this mishap..

He did not deserve it. For all he knew, Sonny could make the decision to ask him to leave, and not come back after having done this.

And he would be in his right after this.

"Three days Corso, it will either make of break you,and decide if you are to remain a pirate or just a soldier with no future..."

* * *

He could tell,by their looks,it would not be the same. And it came as no surprise, he was not paired with Sonny today.

Zarind took his place, with a special brace to protect his throat. Corso tried to not let that affect him.

And from time to time, his gaze met Sonnys, who partnered with Bennett today. And from what he could gather, Sonny felt as out of it as him with this. Something felt like it was missing..And Corso felt like his heart was shattered in small pieces.

He tried to act professional about this. Forced himself through today, even his knife had been replaced,by a weaker one,that would not inflict injury. Corso looked at Sonny, and he could tell from Sonnys gaze,this was not his idea. Corso had a look in his eye, that asked Sonny silently, without uttering a word.

"Who did I scare into making this happen?",and Sonny sent him a gaze that confirmed his suspicion.

"All of them Corso, Im sorry,but I had no other choice. The men demands I stay protected, even this is not how I want it to be".his eyes said.

He could not blame them. He had come close to kill Sonny,and it went without saying, if the pirates lost him, they would be done for, as an organization.

And he had nearly caused just that scenario to happen.

As a former soldier,it left him no honour at all, to do this to a friend, especially, a friend that was your superior.

* * *

For the next days,Corso kept to himself. Anyone that saw him outside the cabin,had seen the pained look upon his face each time his eyes met Sonnys. And Corso kept pretending to be asleep when Sonny entered the cabin.

Sonny felt his heart was torn to pieces to see his friend like this.

It pained more than any injury, no matter how serious, ever could. Corso was physically there,but mentally, he felt like he had...left them.

For once,Sonny did not know how to deal with the situation he was faced with. He could always show his men, that he still trusted Corso, that there was no way Corso would ever hurt him, not on purpose at least.

But he could not command them to trust in Corso.

Trust among the pirates was earned through your actions, and loyalty to the cause.

Corso had not betrayed this loyalty,but his mishap..that had unfortunately led to the pirates not trusting him,they felt unsure in hand to hand combat, and even more, in knife drills.

And the only way to correct it,was by Corso winning that trust back. But he could not see how.

That would be an issue he needed to look at. Sonny stepped inside the cabin, and sighed, noticing Corso pretended to be asleep again.

Sonny took his own sleeping device,and set it for 6 hours, maybe he would get some clarity if he slept on it...

* * *

Corso had made up his mind. He had lost their trust, and an instructor, especially among the pirates, without your peers trust,was no good. He only had one choice left. He had to leave.

It pained him, like his heart was pulled into small pieces,but to protect the pirates,to protect Sonny, he had to leave.

A new replacement for him would be found. Sonny would see why he had made this felt tears in his real eye as he wrote his letter. And carefully placed it where Sonny was bound to see it when he woke up.

As he exited, he turned one last time to look at Sonny who slept peacefully. He so wanted to just pull him into an embrace, ask him to come with him, never look back. But he was dangerous for him now. who was to say when next time he had a mishap was, a mishap that, without help, Sonny would surely die from. No matter how much he wished it was different, he had to go. And let go of the one he truly had come to fully love.

"I never meant to hurt you Sonny, Stay safe, and out of Techoids grasp"he whispered, as tears silently rolled down his cheeks.

Then,he silently left the room...

* * *

When Sonny woke up, he sensed something was had happened,while he had slept. As he turned to face Corsos bed, he saw the letter.

Sonny took it and read it, hands shaking. As he finished,Sonny could not hold tears back.

"I cant let you do this Corso, not while you are acting on emotions and being this unstabile. This isnt about me, its about you. Whatever it takes, we will get through this, together. I will find you, and I will bring you back, this is your home, you belong here, with us, and with me" he said as he got up and got himself ready.

When he reached the bridge of the Black Manta,Sonny put the letter so they all could see it.

"This is not acceptable! No one ever treats a fellow pirate this way. Corso is gone, he left in the silence of night,because you did not give him a chance to redeem himself. What happened was not intentional.I made a mistake, and that is why this was a chain of several different things that led to Corsos reaction, a survivior of the horrors he has seen, will be treated with respect around , we will go after Corso, and bring him home!" Sonny thundered from up on the platform.

"But how do you know something like this will not happen again Sonny?"one of the pirates asked.

Several others nodded.

He could understand their fear,but they were not going to let the fear rule them.

"I dont know that it wont. But I am still willing to trust Corso, to the fullest extent. He would save my life, as I would his. I am asking you all, to give him a second chance" Sonny said,looking at his men.

He saw the slow nodds. Good.

"But where did he go Sonny?"Bennett asked.

Sonny did not know for sure, but he had a suspicion that felt strong.

"The only place he knows,Chissia.."


	19. Chapter 19

This was it, the badlands of Chissia. All marshland. No one would find him out here. Corso felt a heaviness in his heart that he had not felt since..since Kimberly and Noomi died. First his child, then his wife,and now,his best friend was gone from his life too. He could still recall that one last glance before he left. Sonny in deep sleep. He looked exhausted, the three days of the tension from the mishap, it had taken its toll on Sonny. He wished there was another way, Without Sonny, he felt empty. He needed him around, like the air he was felt a warm tear roll down his cheek. How he had wanted to just lie down beside him, massage that tension out of his muscles..just let his hands act as the precision instrument of a skilled doctor, and make sure that he was relaxing,taking care of him. Corso sighed heavily. If he only could have taken him with him..but with what he had done..Still, it changed nothing, what had happened could not be undone, and because it had happened to Sonny, their leader, the pirates no longer trusted him. He was surprised they had even let him share a cabin with him those last days. But most likely, Sonny had made the call to have him stay. Corso did not care to hold back the sore sobs from within.

"Sonny..if only there was a way I could fix this..."

* * *

Sonny sighed, as he had withdrawn to his cabin. He took his personal laptop,to make a heavy call. It did not take long, before Nemur picked it up.

"Nemur, I..I need to speak to Afra, and it is urgent. It concerns Corso.." he managed.

Nemur nodded. Those eyes of his felt very disturbing to look into. Sure, Corso had a cybernetic too, but that was just one eye. Nemur had two.

Sonny saw Afra take place in front of her laptop.

"Tell me what happened, and I will see what I can do" she said.

Sonny nodded, and filled her in on the events, and Corsos sudden departure.

Afra listened attentively. When Sonny was done, Afra sent him an annoyed look.

"First of all Blackbones, I really hope you took care of those boneheads that did this to him. I would imagine you, as the leader, would know that Corso is a flux war veteran. A veteran that has spent a long time in active duty, at The flux wars. Like all the soldiers from active war duty, Corso suffers from PTSD. And the last thing that should be done to him, is triggers it like this. You really have lady luck on your side Blackbones, as normally,Corso would have killed you that day. The only reason he didnt, is still unclear to me" Afra said, clearly not impressed with his mens actions. Sonny didnt feel good about this reprimand, but he had to admit that Afra was right.

"They got a harsh scolding and the matter has been dealt with. And Corso never intended to hurt me, that look in his eyes..when seeing that small stream of blood on my throat.I would erase that from his memory if I could" Sonny admitted.

Afra nodded. Corso finally had met someone that was willing to fight for him, not always use him, like so many had done. This had to be why he had spared Sonnys life. But she was gonna make Blackbones work to win him back.

"You would need to find him first Blackbones. And I am not at all sure you should go that route. It seems there are enough trust issues going on at the moment, wouldnt you say? If you go chasing after him, Corso has the skills to hide, and this is his turf, not years. Chasing him wont help. You better come up with a better plan than that." Afra said, looking at Sonny, challenging him to do what was right. Sonny nodded silently.

"For now,I need to find out where he went. Do you have any idea where he would be hiding?" Sonny asked.

Afra could see how defeated Sonny looked. Clearly, the emotions she had seen Corso try to hide was not one sided. A part of her felt sorry for the pirate leader, but she was not gonna let him off the hook that easy. She owed it to Corso. If Corso felt the same way, she had to at least find a way to make these two men dissolve what they had peacefully, or make repairs for a better future. Blackbones seemed determined to go for the latter. Now hope was Corso wanted the same.

"I got a feeling of where he went Blackbones, and I would advice against you going there. The Chissian Badlands is not a place to go unless you have personal knowledge of it. Corso grew up here, the badlands was where he, and many others once played as a child. Corso would know these areas like the back of his palm. You on the other hand..I cant allow you to go in there in good conscience. Not when I know you would either get lost, or worse, get killed. However, there might be a solution" she mused.

Sonny seemed to have a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Name it" he asked.

Afra looked at pirate chief. He looked strong,and Corso had acted different with him than many other fighters. She had seen the footage from the locker room. Corso having told Sonny to lay down on the bench, rubbing the special salve he had for sore muscles, onto Sonnys back, massaging him. Corso never did that, to anyone. But in Sonnys case, he had taken an interest in his opponent from the moment they met, and from the looks of it, it went deeper than just Corso wanting to train him to defend himself. Could it be that Corso felt something, actually felt something with Blackbones? Afra knew some of Corsos military past, but not a whole lot. And that was not her place to share either, that would be on Corsos own volition. That was for Corso alone to decide if Sonny would get a second chance to set things right between had proven himself a strong fighter in the ring. He had heart. And it would make for a match that would please the crowd, and if she played her cards right, if she put Sonnys name out there, it just could attract Corsos attention, and maybe make him come out of hiding,to watch.

Corso would be able to hide and still see his friend fight, she knew that much, but she also knew of how he felt about Sonny. Even Nemur had commented on it. Corso could be a cold hearted person, he would never let anyone close, not after the loss of his wife and child. But meeting Sonny had changed that. There was something about the pirate leader that appealed to Corso. Maybe this hero streak she saw. But even if she, and Nemur could see it, that did not mean Sonny had. Maybe he needed someone to wake him up to that. Afra decided to tell Sonny a piece of her mind.

"A fight Blackbones. Here,at The Ring. You against one of my toughest fighters. You might get roughed up some, but in all honesty, it might knock your head out your nice looking butt, so you can see clearly what is really going on. It seems it is needed." she said.

Sonny felt like she had slapped him.

"I do not have my head up my nice looking butt as you put it. As for a fight, if that is the only way to draw him out of hiding,I will take the beating. I just need to find him, at all cost" he said.

Afra nodded.

"Oh you got your head up your butt alright Blackbones. If not, you would see just how deeply he loves you, and cares for you. And those emotions go well beyond just what a friendship would bring." she said.

Sonny frowned.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

Afra shook her head. Oh boy, he really did not get , spell it out to him then she thought.

"And here I have been told you were the brightest scientist in Technoid before you fled. I am starting to doubt that, as you should see this for yourself. Everyone else can. I would be surprised if none of your own men has commented on it yet." she said.

Sonny looked confused. Afra knew she needed to throw it in his face, he didnt get it then, he really didnt deserve Corsos love.

"Look Blackbones. Corso loves you, and not just as a friend. When I say he loves you, I mean in the way a military man who lost all he had, his family,all his friends would, plainly put Blackbones, Corso wants you. He wants your friendship,your support, your thoughts, your trust,and finally, he would also want you in a more intimate way. Do I need to get clearer, or is your head still up that rather nice looking butt of yours? When I say Corso wants you, he wants all of you." she pointed out.

Sonny felt like someone had given him a cold shower. How could he have missed the signs if everyone could see them? And Afra was right. The signs had all been there. He had just ignored them all for no good reason. It raised questions for him as well. Had he healed enough from his past with General Bleylock to give it another try? The last encounter he had of that nature..it had been damaging.  
He had decided to suppress that side of his personality, to go for Helena and nothing else. And he had to admit, as good as his marriage to her had been, he had no complaints about that, there was still something missing. He had caught himself wondering why he felt so torn, in both directions. A male partner only was satisfying to a certain point. And Bleylock, he had to be honest to himself, had been rather selfish. It had been as one sided as it could get. Bleylock took what he wanted, leaving him just breathing from the exhaustion of what they had done, but unsatisfied. Helena..She had made sure he would get off, true that, but still, as much as he loved her, she could simply did not do it for him the same way a male partner would. With former male partners, Sonny had felt it to be raw, not too much emotions, just a physical act of intimacy between two of the same sex. It had helped him stay focused. Until Bleylock decided to force him that night. That was his obstacle to tackle. And for some reason, he felt strongly, the solution to move past it, was Corso. Sonny looked at the screen, with a smile on his face now.

"My head is most certainly not up my rather nice looking butt, I can see what you are telling me, and it makes the matter even more urgent to me." he smiled.

"But I admit I may not have seen things as clearly as I should. As for acting on it, I would do anything to have Corso back, even that. I just need to find him, make sure he is ok. Whatever the issue is that he needs help with,I will support him in working through it, with my dying breath, if that is what it takes" he said.

Afra nodded with a small smirk.

"You and your men better get that rather nice looking butt of yours here ASAP then. You got work to do, and it will need some preparation time, at least a few days for this. It may not be over in just one night either. Corso is careful. If he thinks you may try to bait him to come out, he wont come on the first night. He will check to see if you give up the looking for him. Remember, you are dealing with an elite soldier here. He knows how to kill in more ways than I can even speak of. Also,he knows how to wear out his enemy, wich in this case,will be us. You will need to be patient Blackbones, or we wont find him. Meanwhile, I suggest you train here,at The Ring. No one will make an attempt to capture you here, your bounty is not that high yet anyway. I will try to locate Corso, and if need be, bait him with a fight. If he knows you are here fighting, he will want to see it. He might not reveal himself too fast, but he will make sure you stay safe. For him, just seeing you from a distance will help. After that, its anyones guess what happens next." she said.

Sonny listened attentively. What Afra said made sense.

"We will arrive in 4 hours.."he said as he ended the call...

* * *

Corso was still hiding out during the day. No one knew of his cave out here. It was peaceful,him alone with his thoughts. And most of them were about Sonny. He recalled when they first met, his fight against him, General Bleylock, their camping trip..all the good memories. And he realised, if he suffered severe PTSD from the flux wars, Sonny was much the same. It was not war traumas,true, but what General Bleylock, and in turn, Technoid had done to him, that caused Sonnys issues. And if he was good at keeping his feelings to himself,Sonny was his equal. Just thinking about him..it hurt..immensely. Like his heart could not be put back together. Corso picked up the one momentum he had brought with him from The Black Manta. A medallion he had made. Inside, a picture of himself, embracing Sonny. Corso recalled the words uttered that day. Sonny had gotten a slight wound to his chest,and he had bandaged him up, making sure the wound would not get infected. His hazel eyes..so deep, so compassionate. Corso sent Sonnys diseased wife a thought.

"You were lucky Helena. You won his heart,and you had him as your husband. If things were as they should have been, you would still have been with him. Loosing you, could have destroyed him.I could have reunited you with him that day.I deserve this, I deserved to loose him. And still I regret my choice, I miss him. I truly love him" Corso said to himself as he closed the locket.

Then, he put the medallion away. He needed to stock up on supplies anyway. He had better head into the nearest town fast, so he made it back before nightfall. The Badlands was an inhospitable place at daytime, at night time, they became deadly. Corso packed up what he needed for the trip...

* * *

"He has been spotted Afra,ten miles from here" Nemur reported.

Sonny looked up as he heard that. Afras training sessions for the fight was intense,and sweat was dripping off of him. Zarind handed him a towel to dry off.

Afra nodded.

"I should have known, he would chose the most inhospitable place to be found. He is punishing himself for what he thinks he did to you. I only hope this plan works, I hate for a friend to suffer like this." she said, looking at Sonny.

There was such a strong glimpse of pain to be seen in his hazels. She had not been wrong. If Corso loved Sonny, Sonny felt the exact same way.

"I will make sure news of tonights fight is spread out there so he will hear of it in that area. Back to work Blackbones. The fight is tonight. Corso may or may not show, there is no guarantee. But you need to be at your best. If not for him, then for the fans." she said.

Sonny said nothing, just nodded, as Zarind took the water bottle.

"Back at it Captain,lets hope we can find him tonight.." he said...

* * *

All looked as it used to. Corso really did not care. He needed some food and water, that was all. And he knew just where to get it. On his way there, he noticed flyers for The Ring. The Ring..he had good and bad memories from that place. Then this flyer caught his attention. It had been recently put up. Had to be a recent fight, or an upcoming one. Then, something caught his familiar with the face of the opposer.

"Son of a.." Corso pulled the flyer down.

"Sonny..you are here, but why? I dont deserve you, not after what I did. Why would you be at the ring?" he whispered.

The fight was tonight. Oh, to hell with it... Corso knew he could not stay away. Sonny had done this to find him, there was no doubt in his mind. The least he could do, was be there for him. He did not even have to speak to him. He just..

"Oh come now Corso, stop acting like a baby. You need to see him, to know that he is ok. You only need to see him." He told himself.

He would spend the night at a motel afterwards and return to the badlands tomorrow.

But he needed to see him, for his own peace of mind , then he noticed the opponent Sonny would face.

"Oh good God..I got to stop this.."


	20. Chapter 20

_Once again, I have used the wonderful creation of Paranoid girls version of Chissia, and The ring as a backdrop for this and the previous chapter. The charracters Afra, Nemur, and also the Xenon Samar are her creations. I am using them here in my fic because I felt they still could add more to Corsos background and also liven up the story. Thank you for allowing me to use these charracters and for all the valuable information into who they are, how they look and their personalities. I hope I am doing them justice. now, on to the chapter..._

* * *

He had made sure to sneak in, unseen by the pirates that seemed to be out there,looking for someone. That someone being him. And since he was known at The Ring and its many hiding spaces, he knew where he could watch the fights,without being seen. If Sonny saw him, he would loose focus, and get himself hurt. He was not about to let that happen. Corso had put the medallion around his neck tonight, close to his heart, as if he could somehow reach Sonny that way, and help him avoid getting hurt. Corso also knew who he would face tonight. Not the toughest fighters, except for the last one, Samar from would somehow have to be quicker than him, to dodge his attacks. He knew Sonny could do it. A quick hack into Afras system, allowed him to have eyes on the locker room. There he was. Corsos heart skipped a beat the minute he laid eyes on him. Sonny was preparing for the fight, by bandaging his hands. He also was fighting in a bare torso, to strip any advantage the opponent would have,to grab hold of him. Zarind was with him too, rubbing him with a special kind of oil they used during hand to hand combat trainings, to make Sonny a hard target to pin ,he would need it. This would help him be impossible to pin down. Corso smiled. He remembered what he had taught him. Sonny would be able to do this. Corso checked the time. Time to get ready for the show.

"Go get him Sonny,tonight, you will be the victorer.."

* * *

Afra was in The Ring, introducing the two opponents of the night.

"From Xzion, we got Saar, the mighty but gentle giant. And representing Akillian, and also Shiloh Archipelago,The lightning fast avenger, Sonny Blackbones".

Sonny entered the cage, eye on his opposer, and the second eye, seeking the crowd for Corso. He had a feeling he was nearby,watching him. Why was he so afraid to come out and face him? He had not caused any harm, just a tiny graze, hardly worth mentioning. But then again, he knew how afraid Corso was of anything happening to him. And in his eyes, he had nearly caused that to happen. Sonny knew this trauma ran deep within Corso. He would do all in his power to help him deal with this, but first, he had to find him. And tonights fight was part of the plot to lure him out of hiding.

Sonny greeted his opposer, Saar, as Afra explained the rules. Without further ado, Afra left the cage, and Saar got the first real hit.

Sonny winced as he hit the metal of the cage with his back. Ok, time to focus on the fight Sonny, the others will find Corso if he is here...

* * *

He was doing fine in there. Corso could tell Sonny delivered some hard blows. Good, it would help him alleviate some of the frustration he felt. Corso knew him well enough to read how he was doing from his body language alone. He had seen the stress, and also the worry that was painted on his face, in the locker room. All because he could not find him. He already knew Afra had sent out people to try to locate him, as soon as Sonny had told her the situation. He had made sure to disable the function where Sonny could use his cybernetic eye to locate him. Corso still felt strong guilt towards him, for what he had done. If he had not snapped out of it when he had, if Sonnys gentle touch had not gotten him out of the hell he was in...Corso shook the memory off. He was not ready just yet, to face him. For now, this was the closest he could get. Protect him from afar. This first fight should be a breeze. But this was not the only fight Sonny was put up for. It was three fights tonight, that he was listed as opposer in. Corso heard the bell ring. Then, Afra declared Sonny a victorer of the fight. Corso nodded.

"There you go. First victory of the night. Still two to go" he mumbled.

He had taken some notes, to give a few pointers to Sonny. He knew Sonny would realise it was from him when he found it. The pirates guarding him were clever, but Corso knew how to sneak around unseen. And this time, he would use those skills, to prepare Sonny for what was coming.. Corso had snuck off to a hidden wall, behind the lockers. He knew the number on Sonnys locker. Now, he needed to slip the message to him...

* * *

Sonny had taken his gloves off. The next fight was not his. He had returned to the locker room,to rest before his next fight, against a Ryker. Sonny sat down and leaned against the wall, drinking from a water bottle. Artie opened his locker, to give Sonny a new oil rub,before the next fight. then he noticed something strange.

"Hey, there is a note in here.."Artie exclaimed, picking it up.

Sonny creased his eyebrows, something told him, it was important.

"Let me see it" he commanded.

Artie handed him the note. He quickly read through it. His heart rate picked up as he recognized Corsos hand writing.

"He is here somewhere. Be on the lookout. We need to find him" Sonny said.

Artie brought out the oil,and carefully rubbed Sonny with it, preparing him for the next fight.

"Good luck Sonny, try to not get hurt" he said, as Sonny put on his gloves and toothprotector again.

Sonny gave a thumbs up as he exited the locker room...

* * *

A rough round this one, and Sonny was sweating hard. Corso could tell the difference of when it was oil, and when it was sweat. This was sweat.

But Sonny held in there. Sadly, he took a far harder beating this round. Good thing he was strong. But he was draining his energy fast. Corso was concerned. At this rate, Sonny was not going to hold up. And the next opponent, he needed all his strength for. Corso could see the bruisings Sonny was taking. Finally, the bell rang. It was a draw. One victory, one draw. But the last fight, against a Xenon named Samar, was the one Corso feared. He had found out quite a lot of information on this fighter. And none of it was good. Samar was working his way up to become a champion. His replacement as a matter of fact. The problem was, he could potentially kill or hurt Sonny to get there. Corso thought it over. If Sonny got through it, he would surface after the crowd had left. And if Sonny won,he would go back to them. Sonny could be mad over him reacting like he had, but Corso was determined, if he returned to the pirates now, he and Sonny needed a long talk about some clear ground rules. And Corso had a special request for Sonny. He had time to think it over out in the badlands, and the more he thought of it,the more right it felt. He knew Sonny wanted to help him with his inner demons, and he wanted to do the same. He also knew of a few of the ones Sonny struggled with. One, the things General Bleylock had done, he could not conquer that, but there was a few issues he could help Sonny with. Corso wrote a new note.

Then, he snuck silently to put the note in his locker...

* * *

Sonny looked at the note in his hand. This one was different. Corso was asking him not to fight Samar. Corso knew Samar to be dangerous. What to do? Sonny knew he did not have much time. And as long as Corso would not reveal where he was hiding, or come forth, Sonny was left with only one choice. He had to write back, and tell him he had to do this. With a heavy heart, Sonny took a piece of paper, and wrote a note.

"I hope you find this in time Corso" he muttered, as he put it inside his locker, and closed it...

* * *

Corso felt his hands shake with fear, as he read Sonnys reply. This was about to get deadly serious. Sonny was already worn out, and exhausted, while Samar was having his first fight of the night against him. This was an uneven fight at best. Should he go to Afra, and tell her to stop this? The way this developed, he had a very bad feeling. This fight..Sonny would end up getting hurt. Samar was dangerous, and Sonny was not at a level where he could defeat him. All this had been put into play to make him come out of hiding. He had to stop this, but how? Then, he heard the bell. The fight between Sonny and Samar was about to start. Corso felt his heart race. This would turn bad. He packed up his gear. How he could stop this, he did not know, but he had to do something...

* * *

Sonny did not feel good about this. Had Corsos note given him nerves? Well, if they were to make Corso come out of hiding, and talk to them, Sonny needed to give him a reason to do so,this was the best way to make it note showed fear, he was litterally begging him to bail on this, with no promise to show up for a talk. And that had made Sonny make his had considered taking a beating willingly, but seeing his opponent, made him decide against it. Samar looked like the kind that could easily kill a human being, and it so happened, he was very human. He was at a disadvantage here, as Samar was a Xenon. And many of the Xenons were angry. Just yes, but still with a lot of anger. As the bell rung, Sonny barely had time to dodge the attack. This was going to be one long fight, and he feared, he would feel rather sore from this...

* * *

Corso had reached the crowd, but found himself closed off from reaching the cage. And this time, he was really scared. Sonny had been thrown in the cage repeatedly, and he was slow to get up. Corso feared that he was hurt. He forced his way forwards. As soon as he was within hearing range, he tried to push forwards. At the same time, Samar once again attacked Sonny, slamming him in the ground. And this time, Sonny did not rise.

"Sonny! NOOOO! Get up, or he will kill you!" Corso yelled in fear.

He kept pushing to get to him, not even noticing Artie and Bennett coming up on each side of him, placing their hands on his shoulders.

"Sonny! Get up! You cant do this to me, to us all. You hear me Sonny? Get up!" he yelled.

But Sonny was not moving. Afra shut down the fight,as Sonny was lifted on to a stretcher, and taken to the infirmary...

* * *

Corso was pasing back and forth. This again felt like it was his fault. If he had come out sooner, Sonny would not have gotten into this fight, he would have been safe. And now, Sonny was laying unconscious on an examination bench in the room. the sweat oiled his skin and there was already signs of the bruisings he would have in the morning. Corso looked at him, at least he was still breating. Corso went on autopilot, opening the first aid kit to start tending to him.

"Why did you let him do it Afra? Sonny is not in the same class as Samar. He isnt me. This fight could have killed him." Corso asked.

He was stressed, and worried beyond his wits. And he was no stranger to let that shine. Afra looked at him, as she finished bandaging Sonny from the worst injuries, before she allowed Nemur to scan him.

"How is he Nemur?" Corso asked, taking Sonnys hand, to feel his hand like this..it gave some relief at least.

Nemur did not reveal anything, as usual. He scanned Sonny thoroughly.

"He took a severe beating, and it knocked him unconscious. He does come up as fine on the scans. Just let him wake up naturally. Maybe a headache and feeling sore, but otherwise, he is fine. He put up a strong fight." Nemur said, understanding Corsos distress.

The pirates looked at Corso. Damn, he felt like crawling into a hole.

"He did this to find me, didnt he?" Corso asked silently, looking down.

The pirates nodded in unison.

"He has not been himself since he found your letter Corso. He has been worried sick, he tried to remotely activate your safety beacon, when that yeilded no result,he even tried the recording in your new cybernetic eye to find you. Nada. Not to mention, he has not slept in days. He pushes himself to the brink. This keeps up, he will make a mistake that will allow for his capture. Corso, please, come back. We are sorry for our behaviour, if you wont do it for us, do it for him" Artie said silently.

Corso could see Bennett and Zarind nodd in agreement. He sighed deeply.

"I could have stopped this, instead..I ran. Away from the one that truly want to help me,no matter if it comes at his own life" he whispered, clutching Sonnys hand in his.

Afra looked at him.

"I knew you were in the badlands Corso, and I could not let Sonny go out there alone,you know the area, he doesnt. The only option we had left, was The Ring" she admitted.

Corso nodded it.

"You set this up, making him fight, because you knew I would come to his aid somehow, did you not Afra?" he asked, looking at her.

Afra did not flitch.

"I did not do this for Sonny Corso,I did this to help you. Sonny told me what happened. Both Nemur and I have seen for long while how you really feel about your captain. Corso,there is a unique bond between you and him. without eachother I doubt either of you will get very far on your own. When he wakes up, you need to talk to him. You two got a few things to talk through." she said.

Corso nodded.

"yes, you are right Afra. Sonny may have made a mistake by taking on Samar, but this is also on me. I could have stopped it. I only hope he can forgive me" he said.

He felt Bennett and Artie with a shoulder to each of his shoulders.

"He already did Corso. He was gonna find you and bring you back to the pirates, one way or another" said Artie.

Corso nodded. That was when he felt like Sonny squeezed his hand.

"Corso..There you are" Sonny whispered as he opened his eyes.

"Sonny..I..." Corso felt a warm tear drip from his natural eye.

Bennett signalled for them all to leave them alone.

Sonny carefully sat up, with Corsos help.

"I have been so worried Corso, worried we had lost you..worried I had lost you" he whispered.

Corso tried, he really did, but the sob was too powerful. He sat down next to Sonny, and pulled him into a careful embrace.

"Im so sorry Sonny, I..I never should have left.I found that without you, I got no purpose, no meaning. These weeks...they have been hell" he whispered.

Sonny placed his arms around him,holding him close.

"Im sorry too Corso. Thanks to Afra, I was finally able to pull my head out of my nicely looking butt, as she put it, and see the full picture. I should have spoken up sooner" he said.

Corso nodded, still having wet eyes.

"Ill come back Sonny, if you still want me in your crew" he said.

Sonny smiled softly.

"I never should have let you leave Corso, I would do whatever it takes, to keep you by my side,as my right hand. I wont stop fighting for you" he said.

Corso smiled too.

"When you say you would do anything to get me back by your side, could you please be spesific on what you mean Sonny?" he asked.

Sonny smiled.

"I meant what I said Corso, anything, I would do anything to keep you in my life, by my side" he said.

Corso nodded. It was time to put his test in action.

"Sonny, for me to come back full time, as you say you want me to,I got one request only to ask" he said.

Sonny looked at him.

"What do you want Corso? Tell me" he asked.

Corso looked at him, with a soft smile.

"You Sonny, I want you,as my partner. I want you, all of you..."


	21. Chapter 21

Home. He truly was home. Corso smiled as they entered the Black Manta.

Some of the younger pirates still seemed a little uneasy around him. Well, so what? This was his home too, as well as theirs. He looked at Sonny, who moved a bit slowly after Samars rough fight, Slammed in the ground like he had been,Sonny was lucky not to have sustained a concussion. But clearly, he was feeling sore all over from the treatment.

Corso had his belongings in a small bag on his shoulder. Underneath his coat, hung the medallion, with the image of him and Sonny, in a warm embrace. He smiled. Sonny, his partner, in so many more ways than he could imagine,he reminded himself. They had talked things out in the infirmary at The Ring. Sonny had gone some rounds with himself while he was gone,and had not even blinked as he had thrown out his demand.

"You want me Corso? In what way and capacity is it you would want me? I need a clearer definition on what you mean when you say you want all of me." he had asked, looking to Corso for a clarifying answer.

Corso had just shook his head and smiled.

"That is called fishing Sonny, and I suspect you already know in what way I would want you. You said you would do anything to keep me at your side. And my answer is, the only way you can do that, is by committing to being my partner. As of now, you are my superior, true that, and if you really got your head out of your most definitely nice looking butt, there should be no need to question what it is I want from you" he said.

Sonny nodded with a soft smile.

"Just trying to shake the surprise I guess. This is surprising, but most welcome. How long have you had those feelings towards me?We are both rubbish at speaking out, that much is clear." he asked.

Corso grinned.

"You dont give up do you Sonny?" he said with a smile.

Sonny grinned, and then winced as he moved too quickly. Corso looked at him. the punches from Samar had landed hard, and Sonny felt it. Maybe it was time to ease things a bit for him, now that he had put his demand forth.

"Why dont you lay down Sonny? I got my special salve here. It will help. but then you will be resting the next couple of days, that I guarantee you" Corso tried, putting on a stern voice.

Sonny felt like teasing a bit more before giving in.

"Not until you tell me when you started feeling like that about me. If this has gone on for some time, I must have been blind not to see it." he said.

Corso shook his head.

"Stubborn as a bull for sure, if you comply with what I ask, for the sake of your health, I will tell you." he laughed.

"Look whos talking Corso, two can play at that game." Sonny retaliated mildly.

"I am still waiting for the answer. We do nothing until you come clean Corso, and that is final" he stated.

Corso nodded.

"Ever since we met in The Ring the first time. I noticed you and Magnus, talking to people, working to give those bored with fighting a chance to get out. You looked so out of place,close to shitting your pants. But still, something about you struck me. Not sure what to call it really. Could have been that heroic streak you have to you, or something else. I am really not sure. I have not felt that drawn to anyone ever before. Not even my beloved wife. It would not have mattered who won or lost that fight when I challenged you. I was going to go with you anyway. Hoping what I felt was mutual. Hoping I would get a chance to get to know you,figure out why I felt so attracted to you, physically and on all other levels too." he admitted.

Sonny had been silent.

"To be honest Corso. It is first of all, not a one sided situation you describe. I felt the same way from the get go. But, as you know now,I was once General Bleylocks lover. And that was far from a fairytale. What I found with that experience is, that I am attracted to both women and men.I never could settle fully with just one, not even with my wife" Sonny explained.

Corso nodded.

"I would never have married Noomi if I did not feel any attraction to her at all. I have seen myself as bisexual for years Sonny. It feels like a relief to finally be able to tell you this. And it is even better, now that I know you understand me, as you are too, from the sound of things." he said.

Sonny smiled.

"That said Corso. I am more than willing to be your Partner in a committed relationship. But I still need to know, what kind of partnership is it you want to have with me? Is it just as it has been, best of friends, confidantes, or do you seek something deeper than that?" he asked.

Corso looked at him.

"I am not looking to go back to where we started out Sonny. I am asking for a deeper commitment on your end. I am asking that we make it a physical one,like I said, I want all of you, and that I am sure you can make out what means in your own mind. You wouldnt be you if not." Corso said.

For some reason, his heart was racing when he said that. With what Bleylock had done to him, he could understand it if Sonny hesitated. Sonny smiled.

"You can breathe Corso. Im in. We go all the way with this. I give you all of me, and you give me all of you." he said.

Corso smiled. And now, he visibly relaxed. Sonny could only smile as he watched his friend.

"I am happy we had this talk Sonny.I do suggest we move forwards with this slowly has been a while for me, as it also seems to be the case for you.I know you got some issues related to a physical relationship with a male partner to work through.I will help you get through it. And thanks" he smiled.

"For what Corso?" Sonny asked softly.

"For being just you,and being my anchor in a galaxy gone mad sometimes.I cant express in words yet how deep this goes. But maybe this will help" he said.

Then,Corso pulled him close,face just inches from Sonnys. Gently, he placed his hand on Sonnys neck. He read the question in Sonnys hazels.

Carefully, Corso placed two fingers under his chin, gently making him look at him.

Then, as soft as a breeze, he leaned in, and kissed him softly...

* * *

Now. Corso looked at Sonny, who seemed to have some problems moving faster due to the bruising.

"Need a hand Sonny?You look like you re struggling" he offered.

Sonny sent him a grateful smile.

"I wouldnt mind that Corso. That Samar throws a hard punch.I will really feel this tomorrow" he said.

Corso nodded.

"You took a beating from a Xenon Sonny,you did good in there all things considered. Samar is an up and coming champion of Afras, bet on that. And the two previous fights you had took a lot out of you. You did not have enough time to properly recuperate." he said.

Sonny looked at him, as Corso helped him sit down on the bed.

"Wich makes me wonder. If you saw all my fights, where were you hiding?" he asked.

Corso smiled.

"There are secret corridors, unknown to those just visiting. It gives an excellent view to the ring. The Ring was my home for a long time Sonny, after the Flux Wars ended, that is where I ended up. A war veteran, with severe PTSD really does not have too many options available. He is not going to be able to function in normal society. It is like a ticking bomb, you never know what will set it off, as you experienced" he said.

Sonny nodded this, as he started trying to get his red jacket off. Corso looked compassionately at him. Every movement seemed painful for him, Corso put his hand on his arm, and gently pulled it off.

"Lie down Sonny,Ill take care of you. You will feel better after this" he said and pulled out the bottle containing his salve.

"I enhanced this one, while in the badlands. The reason I went there, was the need for some special herbs. They only grow there, they need the marsh water to become strong. All by itself, it smells pretty horrible,but mixed up with the other ingredients, it works wonders, and smells better too" he explained.

Sonny nodded as he gently managed to get his t shirt off. Corso took a good look at him.

"It will be sore through most of the week. My salve will help, but you will need to rest a lot,so your bruised muscles also heal up. And while doing that,we will figure out how to work with our new relationship status" he said.

Sonny moaned as he laid down.

Corso decided the best way to do this, would be to straddle him while applying the salve. But there was a problem with that. It could trigger Sonny to feel as if he was being pinned down. The last thing he wanted, was for Sonny to hyperventilate in panic. That would, if anything, cause him more pain than it was worth.

"Sonny, please, tell me. Will me working on your back from this position cause any kind of triggers for you? The last thing I want, is for you to panic when I am trying to make things better for you" he said calmly.

Sonny managed to shake his head slightly.

"No it wont Corso. You alerted me to what you are about to do. The triggers would come to be if you dont tell me, then I might react. And those flashbacks are not at all nice." he said.

Corso nodded understandingly.

"Tell you what Sonny, it may distract you from the worst pain, if you start telling me more detailed what I need to prepare you for when it comes to anything Bleylock may have done to you, while I apply the salve. I will try to massage you a bit, gently, to see if I can alleviate some of the tension in your muscles that way, its been a while since last time you hand one, and I can feel the tension" he smiled.

This made Sonny chuckle.

"How about you just tell me the truth Corso? What you are trying for, in a very nice way, is to seduce me. You are not Bleylock, there is no way anything you would do to me would remind me of him. I would know the difference between you two" he said.

Corso laughed.

"Darn, you caught me there Sonny. But not tonight. You dont need that right now.I want you to be rested and back to normal first. After that It will happen, but not yet. Only when we are both ready for that step. And that is not now. What you need, is some loving care and attention. And I will make sure to make you rest the best way possible. I am in no hurry, we will have our time soon enough" he said.

Sonny laughed softly as he felt Corsos hands start working their way down his neck and back.

As Corso worked, he felt the tension give way, and not long after, he heard sounds that told him, Sonny was sound asleep. That made him smile.

"I left one thing out about this salve Sonny. It also acts as a sleeping agent. Its all natural remedies. And you truly need the rest. I will make sure, now that you have committed to a partnership with me, to take care of all ways. And right now, your body needs rest. Sweet dreams Sonny" he said softly, and carefully placed the blanket around him, before he bent down and kissed him softly, before exiting the cabin...

* * *

Sonny was having a sweet dream. It started with his innocent childhood. Laughing with friends, running around in the woods of Akillian,building threehouses, biking, and swimming in the lake. Then, it moved into the teenage years, briefly at the military academy, flight simulator trainings, his growing interest for science, General Bleylocks visit, the offer of the the military academy, Arrival at Technoid base,the hard studies, student parties, wich had bored him most the time. Bleylocks apartment, the seemingly endless hours of studies,Bleylocks grooming of him,the partnership with the General,the relationship that had been built on fear and Bleylocks need for control , Helena, wich took away most of the negative memories around General Bleylock,His escape with her to Akillian,Bleylocks new project, the weapon, and then, the moment it all went so horribly wrong...

Sonny sat up in bed, cold sweat dripping,and a wild look in his hazels.

"NOOOOOOOOOO"...


	22. Chapter 22

Ok, they had been lax lately with raids, and it showed on the funds to get proper food. Sonny looked at the numbers. Something had to be done. He had all his hackers work on checking the Technoid convoys and the nature of the cargo set to be shipped needed a shipment of some value. Corso had slept in today, and now he came in to the bridge, choking a yawn as he rubbed his normal eye.

"Good morning sleepy head. Sleep well?" Sonny asked, teasing his partner.

"Like a baby. I almost wonder if you did something after I went to sleep. I dont sleep this deep, ever" Corso mused as he took the coffe mug Bennett offered.

"You sleep deep enough, and you snore like a sawmill" Sonny teased.

Corso was not letting it get to him.

"Well, you share a cabin with me, you should know" he said.

As he was passing Sonny to take his usual seat, Sonny tapped his shoulder with a smile.

Corso needed no more to understand Sonny was joking. Things was a lot easier now that he and Sonny had formed a relationship. And this relationship was deep, a lot deeper than any relationship he ever had before. Laying next to him at night..Corso felt peaceful, feeling the body heat from Sonny, before falling asleep. The kisses, wich they kept to themselves, and in hiding, he also felt like he understood Sonnys wife now. He was like no one else he had ever met. And with the kindest most loving heart you could find,despite what had happened to him. Corso smiled when he thought two days back. Two days since they crossed that threshold of no return, and finally made their relationship a physical one. Sonny had taken a submissive role at first, before he had switched the roles. And it had left them both breathless when it was over. Intense, like they would physically melt together to be as one, that was the words that came to mind. They decided to keep their relationship a secret. The pirates were not affected by their personal life as long as they did what their jobs was.

"Best way to start the day is with a good coffe. At least you do that right Artie" Corso said as he got to work.

Sonny was on the station next to him.

"Sonny, here is something new. A member of the great Akillian team, Aarch has formed a team, planning to participate in the GFC" said Corso.

Sonny looked over at him.

"Football this early Corso?" Sonny said, raising an eyebrow.

"Not exactly Sonny. There is no information as to wether he is associated with Technoid or not. They are also not at Akillian for now. They are having a friendly, with the Wambas. May be a good time for us to see if there is anything worth stealing. We need an income. We cant keep on being this lax, and Technoid has no major movements" he reported.

Sonny rubbed his chin.

"Why not? Ok Corso, set a course for Akillian and the Aarch academy"...

* * *

They had to halt for a little while. Zarind had received a message from the king and queen of Stellar Unix, his home planet. Something had happened, and Zarind had to return to the Palladins, to deal with the situation. Off course, he did not know if he would return or when. Sonny was not at all happy with loosing one of his close men, but in this situation, he was left with no choice. A small ship with the pirates emblem was programmed for departure. Sonny and Corso saw Zarind load his belongings.

"Let us know as soon as you can that all is well. And Farewell my friend. We will miss you" Sonny managed.

Zarind had been there since he took seat as leader. It felt like amputating a limb to let him go. But Zarind was a Palladin, and an important one. They could not force him to stay. As he took off, Sonny felt sad. He hoped all would be well for his friend when he returned home. And this meant another member was up for promotion. Artie now became the fourth member of his personal team. Sonny had noticed that he, Corso, Bennett and Artie made a good team when they worked together.

Sonny decided to not let the emotions get the better of him.

"Now, lets head for Aarch Academy on Akillian"..

* * *

Tustra Tower, the old forgotten Akillian Stadium. Sonny looked out the observation deck. He had not been here since he fled Bleylock..since the accident with the... He shook his head. He did not want to think of that tragedy now. That was not what they were here for.

Any search on Aarch did not show any ties to Technoid, but someone with that kind of money, either had connection to money people, or they were in Technoids pocket. In the latter case, Sonny was no stranger to stealing from Associates to the company that had caused too much pain and suffering for their crimes. You worked with Technoid, Sonny would not let you get away. This was home, and it was also..not home. This was where his ghosts was found. Sonny glanced over towards the old city..Helena..he could almost feel her presence. Sonny lowered the platform.

Corso could tell from his body language that there was a lot of things going through his mind. And most of it, most likely not at all pleasant memories. As his partner, in more ways than one, Corso knew it fell to him to make sure Sonny was ok. Carefully, he placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

Only to find Sonny put his hand atop his. This was a silent gesture, but just the same. Sonny was not alone, he was right there with him, if it was needed...

* * *

They had reached the Aarch Academy. Corso made sure the team jumped first. The jump was not all that high. As they reached the door, Corso attached the jammers they had brought. As soon as they were activated, and Corso had used his little handy device to open the doors, they had to wait for Sonny.

And it did not take long. Sonny had put on his full equipment today, gloves,goggles, and a hood. As he approached, he took of the goggles. Corso suspected that Sonny only wore them to avoid snow blindness on the icy planet. As he entered, Corso and the other pirates followed him.

There was plenty of contraptions inside. Nothing really stood out as typical Technoid design, but it did not matter. This was pay day. Finally, they would have better food. Corso had started dismantling a contraption. But it did not take long for the pirates to notice something strange.

"Thats odd, these dont look like Technoid programs" said one of the hackers.

"This doesnt either, except for a few components maybe" said another.

"Maybe we were wrong" said the first hacker.

Corso was not about to let the negative attitude stop his pay day.

"It doesnt matter, we are taking everything" he said.

Sonny was looking at some papers at a desk, when his eyes caught something.

It was a piece of paper, but with an insignia he recognized. Sonny realised they had to stop the operation. This was a friend, well, maybe not friend,but he would not steal until he knew more.

Sonny straightened himself.

"Dont touch anything else!" he ordered.

Corso looked up, with a shock painted on his face.

"What?" he said, looking at Sonny.

"I said, dont touch anything. I dont want a single bolt to leave this room" Sonny clarified.

Corso was not happy with this. He had looked forwards to a nice juicy steak dinner today, and he quickly saw his meal go down the drain.

"Come on Sonny, we need this stuff. We need to make a living" he said.

Sonny was about to answer, when he was interrupted by police sirens. Corso jolted.

"The police! I dont get it. The jammers are in place, they shouldnt be able to spot us" Corso said.

Whatever the case was, there was no time to check. Sonny pointed to the door.

"We re out of here. Hurry it up!" he ordered.

The pirates quickly exited the lab, and ran for the cliff. This would allow them to reach the Black Manta. As soon as they were all safely on board, Sonny headed to the loading ramp and had it lowered. He wanted to make sure their jammers had not been faulty. He took the binoculars, and remained silently watching the newly arrived Snow Kids and their technical staff. Clearly, The Akillian police was after someone else.

"They didnt come for us" Sonny stated.

Then, a hunch made him take a closer look at the people there. His gaze fell on a face that struck him as familiar. Sure, he had aged over the years, since he saw him last. And last time, he clearly had his memory erased.

"No, it cant be..." Sonny said, slightly shocked.

Then, to make sure, he zoomed in the binoculars again. There, he had a paper, with the insignia under his arm, as they were talking to the Police. It seemed to concern one of the players.

"It cant be him" Sonny said in disbelief.

Was his and Labnors ways meant to cross paths again? And what was Labnor doing as technical staff to a Football Team? He was a brilliant scientist,one of the best in his field. Well, at least he had been. How things was now, when he had clearly parted with Technoid, Sonny didnt know.

" Corso, make sure we keep an eye on this football team, The Snow Kids. It may be nothing, but I got a feeling we are about to get busy, and possibly, get more information on Technoids wheeling and dealing" he said.

Corso nodded.

"Now what Sonny? We still need money to eat, and since we scored nothing here, wich I am a bit unhappy about, do you have a back up plan?" he asked.

Sonny nodded.

"We got about eight hours to intercept a technoid convoy carrying a shipment of laser technology. That should make up for the loss here" he said.

Corso nodded, slightly more happy now.

"As long as I get a juicy steak dinner, not cooked by the Tin can or Artie for that matter, I got no complaints" he said.

Sonny nodded with a smile, as he closed the ramp door.

"I will see to it you get your steak dinner Corso, that, and it is your turn for a massage tonight" he grinned.

Corso smirked.

"I can hardly wait"...

* * *

So far,all had been as normal with the GFC, The Pirates went strong on fair play, but without a flux, they were underdogs. Not really standing a chance against the stronger teams. But the team had heart. And they played their hardest. And now, they were about to face the new Akillian Team. The snow Kids. Sonny knew this would be covered by Arcadia Sports, and the infamous Callie Mystic. If you wanted to keep your business a secret, you had to avoid her, at all costs. She seemed to track you down, no matter what you did. And Sonny did not feel like he wanted to be on her radar.

The Black Manta was on her way to intercept a Technoid convoy, supported by three smaller ships. Sonny thought long and hard. With the snow kids on Shiloh for the match, maybe he could finally make sure if Labnor was ok. Find out what had led him down this path. And was he freed from Technoid or were they still pulling his strings? Sonny made a decision.

"Artie, go find Corso. Tell him I want to see him right away" Sonny ordered, back turned against his young assistant.

Artie went to execute his order. Before long, the door opened behind him and Corso entered the room.

"You asked for me Sonny?" he said, wondering why he had been summoned.

Sonny remained with his back turned on his second in command.

"Yes. I want us to change course for the Shiloh Archipelago" he said.

Corso was more than a bit surprised. The convoy was big. This made no sense to him.

"But you know, we have to intercept a big Technoid convoy in a few hours and.." Corso started before Sonny cut him off.

"It doesnt matter. I have to see the match that will be taking place there" he said.

When Corso seemed to not respond, Sonny turned halfway, to make sure Corso knew this was not a request.

"Thats an order" he said.

Corso saluted and went to execute his order...

* * *

"They re here Sonny" Corso informed.

Artie and Bennett had just returned, from having brought the ship safely to port in the Shiloh Nebula.

"Good!" Sonny seemed in thought.

And Corso noticed how he seemed to answer very short too. It seemed he was a bit on edge.

"Do you need our help?" he asked.

Sonny still had his back turned on him.

"No, its a personal matter" he said.

Corso nodded. Seemed whatever this was about, had to do with Sonnys past, and whatever nightmares had led to him becoming a pirate. He withdrew from the bridge, letting Sonny have his space...

* * *

There,Sonny followed him from a distance. So far, there were two of the snow kids with him. And one of them had found some interesting components on the market. Here, he would find all he wanted, and more. Sonny stood back, and watched labnor enter into a small warehouse. The snow kids parted. Good.

Sonny made his way forwards, well masked. And came to bump into a pirate that tried to fix something.

"Hey, you mind watching where you are going?" the pirate muttered angrily.

Sonny turned towards him. The pirates face widened in shock when he realised who he was dealing with.

"Well, Ill be.." he said.

Sonny raised a gloved finger to his lips.

"Hush".

Then he followed his target.

He could see him inside the warehouse, looking at components.

Well, time to find out, had he really lost his memory, or was there a chance to get some answers this time...


	23. Chapter 23

Sonny made sure to keep a safe distance as he approached Labnor who was looking through a box of computer parts. He was probably up to creating a new machines again. Sonny took a deep breath.

"Its been a long time hasnt it Labnor, or should I say Clamp?" Sonny asked.

As chief of the pirates, he had the full list of who was on board their shuttle. To bring them to The Shiloh Nebula was the safest solution,as there were plenty of escape routes there. And also, plenty of places to hide.

Clamp looked up, startled at the sound of the other mans voice.

"I'Son? After the catastrophy I thought you were..dead" Clamp stoddered.

Sonny moved closer. This time, something had happened. Clamp remembered him,and the past, that had not been the case at their last encounter. This alerted Sonny something had happened, and he had to proceed with caution.

Clamp seemed relieved to see him, and he continued talking, like they were short on time.

"Then they took away my memory, modified my face. I didnt remember anything. Oh I'Son,I have so much to tell you" Clamp managed.

Sonny was about to take one step closer, when the alarms went off.

"Technoid alert, Technoid Alert".

It could be false alert, the pirates often stole Technoid ships to expand their fleet,not too hard really,considering the crew was robots.A few twists and turns, and the robots would work for them, instead of against them. It pissed Duke Maddox off, but that came with the territory. Alarm or not, security protocol was followed. All shops closed down. Sonny knew he could not stay long. But he needed to hear what Clamp had to tell him. Sonny pulled a key card from inside his jacket and handed it to Clamp.

"Meet me at this place at half time" he said, before he left.

Clamp looked at the card, and when he looked up to ask, he was alone. Sonny being their leader, he had made a clean get away. Clamp put the card in his shirt pocket till the following day...

* * *

It was half time. Clamp had snuck off to the area Sonny had put on the card. He had to inform his friend of what was going on, of the tight spot he was in, and General Bleylocks crazy plan. Somehow, they had to stop it.

On board the Black Manta, Corso was not at all too happy about Sonny moving around, especially not with the increase in Technoid alerts.

As Sonny made himself ready, Corso gently grabbed his wrist.

"Be careful Sonny. Just because we cant see them, it doesnt mean there are no one from Technoid here. You are still wanted." he reminded him.

Sonny nodded and gave Corso a wink before he put his goggles on.

"I'll be careful Corso. But I must talk with Clamp." he said.

Corso was somewhat confused.

"It's been a long time since you worked together. Anything I need to know?" he asked.

Sonny shook his head.

"No, it is personal. be ready to take off, in case of trouble"...

* * *

Sonny had reached the destination he had prepared the last night. With the alerts, Sonny had placed a hologram projector on the place he would be most visible. He felt it best to keep a safe distance until further notice. Something was going on, and if Bleylock had Clamp under his thumb somehow, he would be the next on his list. And working for Bleylock was out of the question, with all he knew about him.

Sonny made sure to silently climb to higher ground.

Clamp was already here. Good. Sonny turned on the hologram projector.

"We'll be able to speak here" he said.

But he was not prepared for what Clamp would say.

"I'Son, The Snow Kids..They all have the Meta flux in them" Clamp exclaimed.

Sonny felt like he ran cold inside. This could not possibly be.

"The Meta Flux? How is that possible?" he asked.

He remembered the accident all too well. No one knew how having absorbed Meta flux could affect a human body. They never did any research on that.

Clamp sighed.

"They were all born on Akillian, shortly after the accident. Bleylock wants me to gather it for him" he admitted.

Sonny had to fight to stay calm. So that was his plan eh? Well, he would intervene to stop that. And he had to come up with a solution to save the kids as well. But for now, he needed to stop Clamp from moving ahead with the plan.

"You cant do that Clamp" he said.

"He doesn't have a choice, Blackbones" a voice said.

Sonny turned to see who it was. It was clear that Clamp was being watched now. And the scentist he had seen before. One of Bleylocks current favourites. Professor Baldwin. And now, the cameras started to assemble into..robots.

Sonny looked to the side, to see it there was a way to escape.

"Seize Him!" Professor Baldwin ordered.

Sonny did not move. The robots approached him, and grabbed into...nothing.

"A hologram" Clamp mused.

Sonny knew they would momentarily start looking for where he was hiding. The hologram projector had a limited range. Sonny decided to get ahead of the robots. He jumped down from his hideout, and made a run for it...

* * *

He had the needed head start, and used all the possible short cuts out of the stadium. The robots took some time to catch on, but not enough for his taste. Sonny accelerated the speed to create more distance. Already, the lasers were hitting dangerously close to where he was running. Sonny raised his wrist as he ran.

"Corso, warm up the engines, we're getting out of here" he ordered.

"Alright Sonny, but hurry it up" Corso said.

"Prepare for take off. Sonny is on his way, and he has some company on his tail, keep the loading ramp open" Corso ordered.

Sonny made a leap, and pulled himself up the ramp, as soon as he regained balance, he ran inside the airlock and the ramp closed.

Corso looked at him, as he leaned against the wall, catching his breath.

"Did you learn anything?" Corso asked, taking his hood and goggles as Sonny took them off.

Sonny nodded.

"Yes, Bleylock is keeping tabs on Clamp. What this is about, is a secret weapon. It is military graded. It seems this team, The snow Kids, all have this chemically induced weapon in their bodies. We never did study how it could effect the human body. And since Bleylock wants Clamp to gather it for him.."he said.

"You plan to foil this plan with all you have, right?" Corso said.

Sonny nodded.

"Set a course for Akillian the minute our crew is picked up.I will force Clamp if I have to. But he is not carrying out this kind of work for General Bleylock.. "

* * *

Sonny had used a small pod to get to Aarch Academy. Corso was not happy about having to wait on the other side of Akillian while Sonny went in alone, but he was left with no choice. Sonny knew General Bleylock would be alert to his interest in matters now, and one man stood a better chance alone, than a full team. So Sonny had taken of alone. He sent the pod back as soon as he arrived. Sonny had made sure he had all the necessary gear on him, before he entered the academy. He avoided being spotted by Dame Simbai, the teams herbalist. Silently, he made his way to Clamps lab.

A quick peek in the window, told him this was the place. Sonny silently opened the door and snuck in. Clamp was doing some welding on a new machine, clearly something to extract the meta flux from the kids. This was beyond reckless the way he saw it. They had no research to know wheter this was even safe for the kids health. Well, it was about to end. Right now. Sonny felt the anger seething inside.

"You really think you can extract the Snow kids meta flux with this machine Labnor?" he asked.

That caused Clamp to drop his tool.

"How do you know it wont risk hurting them?" he asked as he pulled off his hood and goggles.

But Clamp seemed far more concerned with his safety than the real matter.

"I'Son,you can't stay here, you have to leave..now" Clamp said, walking towards him.

Sonny ignored him, and moved towards the unfinished machine.

"I can't allow you to do this Labnor, you're coming with me" Sonny said, tapping the machine with his finger.

"I'Son, I'm begging you, leave, while you still have the chance" Clamp tried.

Then, the window above them was shattered.

Sonny could see the technoid robots entering. He stared angrily at his former lab partner. Had he just sold him out to Technoid and Bleylock?

Clamp looked saddened, but he tried to explain why the robots could be here so fast.

"They planted a microphone in me" he said.

As the robots landed, Sonny took several steps bakwards.

"Sonny Blackbones, you're under arrest" they informed him.

Sonny was not deterred by that.

"What a surprise" he answered.

The nearest robot grabbed hold of Sonnys arm. And that was a bad move. Sonny was stronger than most men, and easily threw the robot into the machine that made it let go of him. Enough playtime.

"Lobnor, follow me" he ordered, as he made a run for it. Clamp tried, but he was no where near as fast as Sonny. And he ended up captured.

Sonny quickly noticed he had lost Clamp. He considered turning back, but that would lead to him getting captured. He had to abandon this plan for now and find another way. For now, he needed to get out of here.

Sonny hurried along the corridors the fastest he could. Just because he had one robot taken care off momentarily, that did not free him of the two others. And they were giving chase. They were fast for tin cans. Sonny suspected they had been upgraded.

As soon as the robots ran past him, he took a few minutes to catch his breath before he entered a hold.

"Corso, emergency evacuation plan B, I repeat, evacuation plan B" Sonny said into his transmitter.

Corso confirmed receiving the message.

Sonny opened a hatch and crawled into the ventilation duct...

* * *

As he moved through the ventilation duct, a hatch in the roof seemed to fall open and reveal a snow kid in the duct.

"There is..Sonny Blackbones, right in front of me" the raven haired kid stoddered.

Clearly, his friend on the other end of the ear piece did not believe him, as the kid rose to repeat his message.

"Thran, I'm telling you that Sonny Blackbones.."he tried, as Sonny cut him off.

"Sorry Kid, I'd really like to stay and talk with I seem to have some Technoid robots on my tail" he explained.

It seemed his friend now got that the snow kid with the raven hair had told the truth.

"Why does no one ever believe me?" the young snow kid said with a smirk.

They both turned as the robots had opened a hatch to the ventilation duct.

"I can help you Sir" said the kid.

"I don't need any help" Sonny said, not wanting to involve the kid.

The kid was not deterred by this.

"Funny, that's not the impression I got,Thran, if you can manage to focus long enough, could you tell us the shortest way out of here? we're in a little bind" he told his friend.

As soon as his friend Thran gave directions, Micro Ice ushered Sonny along. Sonny had to admire the kids courage. To risk all he had for a wanted pirate. Either the kid knew the pirates were being blamed for things they were innocent of, or he was just a strong supporter of their cause.

"My ship is waiting for me on the other side of Akillian. I need to find a way to get there and fast" Sonny told him as they ran.

"Don't worry,I'll get you out of here in no time" Micro Ice smirked.

They were out of the ducts quickly. Micro Ice made sure Sonny was somewhat shielded from potential blasts. They were now at the roof top and Sonny ran beside him, trying to get to safety. All of a sudden, he stopped.

"Wait" he said as the robots now came from both sides.

But Sonny was not worried. He took a grappling hook from a pocket on his pants and shot it across the small abyss between the academy and the Tustra tower.

"Hold on tight boy" he said, and locked his strong arm around him as he pushed them off from where the robots stood, and to the other side.

As they landed, Micro Ice was on his feets first.

"This way sir" he said, and led Sonny to an elevator.

As soon as they were inside, he activated the elevator to go up.

"Didn't you tell me that your ship is waiting for you on the other side of Akillian?" Micro Ice asked, recalling their conversation running through the ducts.

Sonny just nodded quickly, trying to calm his own breathing down.

As the elevator moved, Micro Ice started talking.

"I can't believe it, I'm in an elevator with the number one pirate, Sonny Blackbones himself. I love what you're doing against Technoid.I'm your biggest fan" he said.

Sonny looked at him sideways. That one was new. The snow kid supposedly fan boying over him, a wanted pirate. As amusing as it was, it was also dangerous, and clearly, the kid needed be told that.

"My biggest fan?" Sonny chuckled slightly.

"Don't go too far there kid. What were you doing in the ventilation ducts if I may ask?" he said, looking at the kid.

Micro Ice was not bothered by that.

"Just getting a little air, that's what they're there for right? How about you?" he retaliated.

Sonny knew that was a fair question.

"I was..just seeing an old acquaintance" he said.

"A very old acquaintance" he silently admitted.

Memories from the past, of fleeing Technoid, with Helena, being shot down, her taken aboard another ship to go to safety, him being abandoned by someone he trusted,with the Meta flux, almost being shot to death, his ship exploding, and then, the sphere with the liquid weapon, falling out of his reach, and then disaster...

* * *

Sonny came out of the memory, when Micro Ice addressed him.

"Sir, are you alright Sir? Are you alright Sir?"Micro Ice repeated, looking at him with worry.

"I'm never alright kid, but I'm used to it" Sonny replied.

That made Micro Ice turn and look out the elevator.

"Sounds like your friends from Technoid decided not to wait for the elevator" he said, noticing the robots having started to climb up the tower.

As soon as they were at the top, Micro Ice ran past Sonny.

As they came out of the building, Micro Ice shoved away some snow, revealing their hidden magnet boards.

"Do you know how to use these things?" he asked, looking at Sonny.

He really didn't but he was not going to tell the kid that.

"What other choice is there?" he asked.

Micro Ice nodded and quickly showed him how to maneuver the board.

They made it off just in time to have a head start on the robots.

And The robots responded, by shooting at them. Sonny made sure to cover the kid, they were not going to shoot him today. At the same time, he maintained the distance, or tried to increase it if possible.

Soon after, they reached the destination for his ship.

"Please tell me that this is where your ship is supposed to appear and save the day?" Micro Ice asked.

"This is it" Sonny confirmed.

"So?" Micro Ice said, not seeing any ship.

Sonny said nothing, as The Black Manta rose from the snow it was hidden under.

"Forget I said anything" Micro Ice said admiringly as the gigantic ship rose in front of him.

Then, it was like he came to think of something.

"I suppose that coming along with you would be asking too much?" Micro Ice said, turning to Sonny for an answer.

Sonny was just about to answer, when disaster struck.

The two robots had gained on them while The Black Manta rose, and now they were within range to hit.

Micro Ice froze in shock, when Sonny sunk to his knees.

"Sonny!" he yelled...


	24. Chapter 24

Corso had seen from the ramp of Black Manta what happened. It was no doubt, Sonny had taken a hard hit to the back. And the robots were closing in fast. As the pirates returned fire, he stormed of the ramp, on to the frozen ground to get to them. Sonny had put his arm behind his back, trying to stop the bleeding.

"I'm hit" he managed, clearly clenching his teeth in pain.

As Corso reached them, he noticed the wound bleeding.

"We need to get you on board Sonny. The Robots are gaining" he said.

It was obvious Sonny needed help by now. Micro Ice did not think. He just acted, placing an arm around Sonnys back, just above the wound, to help him.

Corso placed Sonny's arm around his own neck.

"Let's go!" he told Micro Ice.

Between them, they almost forced Sonny to use the last of his strength to run for the ship. As they reached the ramp, Corso cheered Micro Ice on.

"This way, Quick!" he said.

As soon as they were on board, the pirates closed the ramp and took off.

Micro Ice did not know what to do. But Corso knew.

They had an injured man on board, and right now, Sonny needed medical attention. Corso halfway lifted the now semi conscious Sonny to his shoulder and carried him to the infirmary. Sonny was sweating hard from the pain. Corso wasted no time in getting his clothes off so he could examine the wound more closely. Sonny was breathing hard,clearly struggling not to scream out in pain. And the wound bled heavily as it was. Corso knew they needed to surgically remove whatever remnant of pellets was still left from the laser in the wound. And for that, they needed an operating theatre. That meant to return to Shiloh and the lair, the sooner the better.

Sonny tried to move, and yelled out in pain with that. Corso grabbed his shoulders.

"Easy there tough guy. I will put some Mesonome on it, and bandage you up. To cleanse the wound though, you will need to lie on your back. And that will be painful. Sonny, would you be ok with me giving you a sedative for the journey back to Shiloh? It is better than constant pain at least" he asked mildly, looking at his partner, who was in serious pain by now.

Sonny was not able to speak. He just nodded, sweat dripping. Corso did the best he could to keep the wound clean, before he injected a small syringe in Sonnys arm.

Corso smiled compassionately at him. Seconds later, Sonny was asleep. Corso gently laid him down on the bed, in the cabin left vacant by the other pirates, as soon as he made sure Sonny was comfortable, he put the blankets around him. There was a chance the wound would grow infected, and if so, fever would set in. Corso decided that for now, he would stand vigil at Sonnys side, to make sure he would get through it all.

This was where Micro Ice found him, when he peeked in the door. Sonny was already bathing in sweat, and his fever had risen. Corso had taken his hand, using an old army method of checking his pulse. The fever was also spiking. Things were not looking good as of now.

"How is he?" Micro Ice asked, looking at the unconscious pirate chief.

"He doesn't look too good, but, as he likes to say, he'll pull through" Corso said, not looking away from Sonny.

Then, as he was satisfied Sonny was stabile, he rose to his feet.

"Anyway, thanks for your help kid, you probably saved his life" Corso said.

And he meant it. Had it not been for the kid, Sonny would most likely have either been captured, or killed. As it looked, Sonny owed his life to the kid. And Corso knew Sonny would deal with it as soon as he was able to. If you saved a pirates life, especially Sonny Blackbones life, the pirates were in debt to you,and you made friends for life, unless you messed up.

"That remains to be seen, can I ask where we're headed?" Micro Ice asked.

Corso smiled. The kid had liked it in Shiloh, from what Artie had reported. But he had not been at the lair before.

"You've never heard of it" he said with a hand on his shoulder.

Micro Ice felt a bit nervous around Corso. Something told him it would be wise not to anger this man. But then again, he had seen how protective he was of Sonny. It kind of reminded him of him and D'Jok. Oh for petes sake. Don't think about that stubborn red headed airhead now, Micro Ice thought.

He already had a plan for his future form in his head. Now, all that remained was to make the pirate chief Sonny Blackbones agree to it...

* * *

Corso had struggled not to laugh during the stare down between Sonny and Micro Ice. The kid was stubborn, no doubt about it. But trying to outsmart Sonny Blackbones? That was out of his league. Micro Ice was allowed to try what it was like to be a pirate though Sonny had agreed. Micro Ice had nodded and left the room. Corso was about to follow the kid, when Sonny grabbed his arm. He was still not strong enough to function as captain, so it fell on Corso for now. Sonny looked at Corso.

"Make him think its his own idea. But I will make one thing crystal clear. He is not staying here with the pirates. The kid has a life with his friends and family. I have seen rebellion like this before. I owe him my life Corso, but he is not becoming one of us. And that's an order!"

Corso had agreed. And he had left it to Artie to deal with it. Artie had found a solution, and after the Snow Kids lost to the Shadows, Micro Ice had come to his senses and asked for help to return. Off course, this had already been prearranged. Artie also made sure to erase his memory of the lair.

As soon as Micro Ice had taken off, Artie reported to him.

Corso nodded as he heard the report.

"I will let Sonny know" he said.

Artie nodded.

"How's he doing Corso?" he wondered.

"He's doing fine Artie. He will still be weak for a little while, but you know Sonny, he always pulls through" Corso said.

Artie nodded, and Corso was on his way to report.

He found Sonny sitting on the bed. And the image on the holo tv was frozen, on the interview Callie had done with the red headed Snow Kids striker, D'Jok.

Sonny looked strangely pale. Corso frowned. That was odd. Then, he noticed, Sonny had taken of the bracelet he always wore, holding it in his hand. What was going on here?

"Sonny, are you ok?" he asked carefully.

Sonny did not respond right away. Instead, he played the interview one more time. Corso's mouth fell open in shock when he realised what Sonny was getting at.

The kid..he wore an identical bracelet to Sonny's! The bracelet Sonny's wife would have worn. That could not be unless..

"Sonny..the kid.." Corso managed.

Sonny nodded very slow.

"Yes Corso. I have been wrong..terribly wrong. Helena would never give that bracelet away. The only way she would is if he was her own child..." Sonny said, in a mere whisper.

Corso realised what that meant.

"Sonny, the kid..look at him. I mean, really look at him. Doesn't he not remind you of someone?" Corso asked.

Sonny nodded.

"I don't know for sure, but we think the same. The snow kid striker, D'Jok..he's my son Corso" Sonny whispered.

Corso could see the Sonny's glossy eyes. He wasn't running a fever, so this was something else. Corso suspected, tears.

It also raised a new possibility.

"Sonny, if D'Jok is your son, then that would mean, your wife...she is still alive" Corso said, feeling strangely hurt by the thought. If this was the case, it could mean that Sonny would leave them, to be with his family and start over.

Sonny nodded. He seemed to get what Corso worried about.

"I have to know the truth Corso. No matter how much it may hurt. But no matter what,I am staying here, with the pirates. And with you" Sonny said silently.

Corso felt warm inside when he heard those words.

"And Helena? She is still legally your wife. What if she wants her husband back?" Corso argued.

Sonny looked at him.

"Then, she will have to share me with you. She married I'Son, Not Sonny. All I know is, she may not like who I became. She may even have remarried, thinking me dead, like I did with her. We will work it out. But I will have to step up and be a father to my son" Sonny said.

Corso nodded.

"Let's do some digging Sonny, we may be able to find some answer in public records"...

* * *

It was true. D'Jok was indeed Sonny's son. The dna test taken had proved it beyond any doubt. Helena, his wife, was no longer with them. She had died, giving birth to his son. It had been extremely hard on Sonny to hear it. But all was not lost. It had catapulted Sonny into a new role. Even the pirates had been shocked to learn that Sonny had a sixteen year old son. But as soon as the initial shock calmed, they were very supportive.

And they had tried their best to keep it from Technoid.

Sonny and Clamp had recovered the meta flux from the snow kids, after a daring rescue of Clamp from Bleylocks claws. But somehow, Bleylock had gotten hold of this secret anyway.

And he had blackmailed Sonny, by taking D'Jok prisoner. Corso was glad he was not in general Bleylocks shoes right then, as Sonny had been furious. But the new role as a dad, had made Sonny prioritize differently. And his son, came before his own safety.

Despite his best attempts to avoid it, Sonny had thrown himself into the lions mouth, by trusting Bleylock to free his son, if given the meta flux. And it was proven once and for all,Bleylock was a cunning snake.

Corso had seen D'Jok with his foster mother, Maya. That meant, Bleylock had exchanged the son for the life of his father.

It put Sonny in grave danger. They needed to know what D'Jok knew.

As soon as they saw D'Jok enter a rest room, Corso was quick to follow him.

D'Jok had splashed some cold water on his face.

"My name is Corso, I'm a friend of your father" he said.

The kid acted hostile.

Corso tried to get the information from him. But D'Jok seemed to be under the impression he was the only one that could save Sonny now. And he did reveal that Bleylock had taken him away, and in handcuffs.

Corso knew, as much as he wanted to slap the kid, he had to let him know he had been fooled.

As he was about to leave, he stopped.

"Whatever Bleylock asked you to do, don't do it. That man is dangerous. He'll kill your father, no matter what happens" he informed the kid, before he returned to the others.

"Any luck?" Bennett asked.

Corso shook his head.

"The kid is as stubborn as Sonny. But he confirmed what we suspected,Sonny is held captive by Bleylock. We need Clamps help to find out more. And where they could have taken him." Corso said.

The other pirates nodded...

* * *

And here they were, at the Genesis reservoirs, acting on a vision. Maya had a vision of Sonny drowning inside one of the reservoirs. Corso found that odd. Sonny was a strong swimmer. For him to drown, there had to be extreme circumstances at play. And what was more, they had to work with Technoid, to apprehend Bleylock and free Sonny.

The reservoirs were enormous. And They had to search each and every one of them, to find Sonny.

That was until a mishap took place, and they managed to apprehend Professor Baldwin. Corso had forced it out of him, where Sonny was held.

As they reached the reservoir that served as Sonnys prison, Corso could understand Mayas vision better.

Sonny was trapped inside a bubble, under water. And what was more, the bubble was shrinking, and fast.

Corso reacted as fast as he could. He used his hook to get him up at the reservoir, and as soon as the hook was reset, He jumped into the reservoir to help Sonny.

He could see Sonny fighting the shrinking process from he was loosing the battle, using up any left over air. Corso could see him loose consciousness. As long as he was inside the bubble that seemed to be held in place, he would be safe. But the bubble had shrunk and Corso was watching his lover suffocate in front of him. That was not gonna happen if he had a say in it. Corso started using his hook, trying to tear a hole in it, from outside. The air inside the bubble was out, and Sonny no longer conscious. This wasn't drowning. This was suffocation. He had to get him out, if not, it was over for Sonny for good.

Corso gathered all his strength, in a last ditch effort to free his best friend. They could not loose him now, not like this.

Corso noticed, he had managed a small puncture in the bubble, and water started flowing in. This made the bubble expand rapidly, but not fast enough. Corso once again stuck the hook in, and made the hole bigger, ready to catch Sonny the moment he was free.

And, Sonny sank towards the bottom, fast. Corso fought to catch up, right now, Sonny was completely at his mercy. He had to save him.

Corso had no time to go up for air. He had to use what he had, or it was game over for Sonny.

Corso swam downwards as fast as he could. Sonny seemed just out of reach all the time, till Corso did a quick push forwards, and managed to get hold off him.

Corso put his hardest into it. Finally, he managed to grab hold of him properly. Corso placed his arms around him, and started kicking, to get them to the surface. His lungs was burning from the pain, but he had to push on. For both of them.

Finally, they broke the surface. Corso gasped for air. Then, he turned to Sonny, checking his pulse. it was still beating. Clearly, he had swallowed a lot of water. Corso could see Artie and Bennett looked down on them with worry.

"Get Sonny out of the water and start resuscitation, he has swallowed a lot of water." Corso ordered, as Bennett and Artie lowered their grappling hooks. He gently tied Bennetts hook as a harness around Sonnys chest first, before he did the same with Arties.

"He is secured. Pull him up"...


	25. Chapter 25

As soon as Sonny reached the top of the reservoir, Artie and Bennett grabbed hold of him, pulled him out and laid him down on the floo gently. Bennett quickly checked his pulse.

"He has pulse, but he is not breathing.I will initiate CPR" Bennett said, as a dripping wet Corso finally reached them.

Bennett and Artie started working on Sonny while Corso caught his breath. Duke Maddox had also joined them, as they held professor Baldwin captive, who had not used the drama to try to get away.

"Wake up Cinderella. You've had your beauty sleep for now." Corso teased.

At that moment, Sonny coughedhard. Bennett pulled him over on his side, tapping him on the back, to have Sonny cough up the water he had swallowed.

Corso smiled as he held out his hand to help him to his feets.

"I think this is a situation we should train all captains to deal with" he said.

Sonny grinned at him.

"I think I'll pass. One round was enough" he said with a small smile.

Corso nodded. As Sonny talked to Duke Maddox about matters, Corso called Clamp. The scientist was worried for Sonny, and whatever D'Jok was being blackmailed with, Corso suspected it had to do with Sonnys capture somehow. Corso called Clamp.

"Clamp, we did it. We found Sonny. He's safe and sound, I hope it's not too late." Corso said.

As soon as Clamp had said he would bring the message on, Corso ended the call and joined the others. D'Jok would be informed his father was safe now, and win this match.

Corso turned his attention back to professor Baldwin. Sonny was composing himself after escaping his prison.

"You're gonna tell us everything about what is really going on here" he said, looking at Baldwin.

The professor smirked.

"You can do what you want, but I won't say a word. And it is already too late" he said.

And that was the wrong answer. Corso could see how this irritated Sonny.

"Too late? Why? What happened?" Sonny asked cross.

Corso realised he worried about his son. when professor Baldwin did not reply, Sonny got even more angry and reached out and grabbed is lab coat.

"Talk" he demanded.

This led to Baldwin made a few demands about immunity. Duke Maddox did not agree with his employee.

"If you talk, you'll avoid going to the galaxys worst prisons. That's already being generous to a slime like yourself" he Stated.

As Baldwin was about to start talking, Bleylock shot him in the back, to shut him up. And now free, Sonny saw a chance to stop the crazy general. He told Corso and the others to deal with matters with Duke Maddox as he went after Bleylock.

It became a grueling chase, that ended in the same place Sonny had been taken prisoner by him. After an intense fight. Sonny finally had the meta flux secured, and he had seen D'Jok receive the cup on behalf of his team. Sonny contacted his friends.

Moments later, he boarded the taxi they used, to get back to the astro port The Black Manta was docked in.

As soon as they were on board, Sonny placed the sphere with the Meta flux in a steel container and locked it into his personal vault.

Corso looked at him.

"The Meta flux, just how dangerous is that thing? I mean, are we at risk of the ship blowing up?" he asked, sounding worried.

Sonny closed the vault door and locked it with his personal locking code.

Then, he turned and leaned against the wall.

"No worries Corso. It won't pose a risk now. I will need to take it somewhere safe and destroy it. But as of now, I plan to met with my son, to congratulate him on his teams win" Sonny said.

Corso could tell he was tired, but determined to go through with this.

"General Bleylock, what about him? We need to stop him, or he will just try again. And he would have killed you if we had not come in time. Thanks to this Psychic, Maya, we found you in time" he said.

Sonny nodded.

"Maya you said? It wouldn't happen to be the foster mother of my son by any chance?" he asked.

Corso nodded.

"That's her. Thanks to her help, we found a starting point. But don't you ever pull such a stunt again Sonny. I should have bound you after I knocked you out." Corso said.

"And if so, my son would be dead by now, so all in all, I am glad I did what I did" Sonny said.

Corso laid a hand to his shoulder when Sonny turned to leave.

"Not so fast Sonny. What happened to General Bleylock? I saw no bloodstains, so clearly you did not kill him, even if he deserved that for what he did to you. Cause trust me, he would have killed you, eventually. I doubt he would have let you go." Corso sighed.

"Point is Sonny, Bleylock is part of Technoid. And to them, you are possibly the greatest threat out there. You escaped them, with your memory intact, and a clear recollection of your traumas that they caused. To us, that is just one out of many things that makes you valuable, and the same time, dangerous for them. So please Sonny, tell me, what happened to Bleylock?" Corso begged.

Sonny sighed. Corso was his second in command, and his best friend, and also, his partner. He could not lie to him about this.

"I managed to stop disaster by grabbing the sphere in the air, and also, using my other arm to latch on to a pole between two buildings. Bleylock had thought me to have jumped to my death. He smiled when he looked over the edge, and was very angry to find me still alive. So, he decided to finish the job.I managed to secure a grip before he reached me. We continued a few minutes, till he lost his grip and hang beside me. He did not secure his grip. So he fell, to his death I believe" Sonny said silently.

Corso nodded.

"How long was that fall? It could be survivable. And even with broken limbs, there are prostethics available." Corso said.

Sonny looked away.

"He fell over fifty stories Corso. I don't think he would have survived." Sonny said, looking down.

Corso realised why.

"It's not your fault Sonny. I know you didn't want him to die. That is one of the things about you that I find attractive. Your desire and will to always see the best in people. Even monsters like Bleylock. Never change who you are Sonny. The galaxy needs men like you. Now, you got a young son, who needs a father figure. You will do great at it." Corso smiled.

Then, he decided to add a little more.

"Also,The pirates need you as the one you are, and I need you Sonny. With your support and help, I may sometime be able to handle my own past, and ghosts. I am not sure I can do it all alone" he said silently.

Sonny smiled softly, as Corso looked up from staring at the floor.

"Thanks Corso, you mean the same to me. I am glad I agreed to our partnership being as it is" he said.

And without giving Corso a chance to question it, Sonny placed a hand on his neck, and pulled him close, and kissed him softly. Corso knew no one could see them. So he returned the kiss, with a passion. It did not take long, before they were both short on breath.

"We are going to loose control completely if we keep this up" Corso managed with a laugh.

Sonny chuckled.

"You are just not used to me showing my more playful side in that area" he joked.

"Really? Tell me more about that" Corso invited...

* * *

They did not bother to hide as they entered the snow kids hotel. Sonny had called Clamp, his old lab partner and friend, who helped them in.

Clamp had been worried, as there were all the parents of the snow kids there and Sonny was a wanted man.

Sonny had calmed Clamp. They had received a call on the open line, from Duke Maddox and Technoid. And they had been granted immunity in exchange for saving the entire population of Genesis, and Sonnys near death experience due to Bleylocks wheeling and dealing.

Now, They made their way to meet Sonnys son.

D'Jok was speaking with Micro Ice and Mei, when he noticed the four pirates, Corso, Artie, Bennett and..

"Dad, you are all ok" D'Jok could not hold back a tear when he hugged his father.

Sonny smiled as he embraced his son. D'Jok was maybe 16 years old, but, he clearly had not had a father figure in his life for those 16 he also appeared very young and insecure faced with his father, That was about to change though. He had lost so much already of his sons life. No more. He would fight, come hell or high water, to stay in his sons life, to be the best father he could be, the same way he planned to be the best partner he could be for Corso. How D'Jok would react to that kind of revelation, he was not sure of, but he would be honest if asked.

"I'm fine D'Jok, unharmed and safe" he said.

D'Jok nodded.

"And Bleylock?" D'Jok asked.

"It's taken care of D'Jok. You don't need to worry about him anymore. Tonight,we are here to celebrate your incredible win. Well played son, I'm very proud of you" Sonny said with a smile.

D'Jok smiled.

"Thanks Dad. That means a lot to me. I'm still adjusting to this new situation, of having a dad" he admitted.

Sonny nodded.

"I am doing the same D'Jok, being a father is new to me. But I will get better at it in time. That is, if you want me in your life, as a father?" Sonny asked, looking at his son.

D'Jok nodded.

"I would want that very much Dad. But how can we do this? You are after all the most wanted man in the galaxy. I don't want you to end up captured because of me" he said.

Sonny smiled.

"Don't worry D'Jok. The pirates and I have been granted immunity from Technoid. That makes us free men. It will take some adjustments, but we will get there."he said.

D'Jok smiled at that.

"That's great Dad, even more good news" he said.

Sonny smiled.

"And it allows for me to help my men" he said.

D'Jok nodded.

"You got some great friends there Dad, maybe especially, Corso" he said.

Sonny smiled.

"One day, you will understand Corso better D'Jok. He has a bravery that is unprecedented. He is someone I respect and care very deeply for" Sonny said.

D'Jok grinned.

"You definately care a lot for him Dad, despite his moods. Exactly, what is he to you?" D'Jok wondered.

Sonny looked up to the stars on the sky as he and his son had walked outside to talk on the rooftop.

"Corso is my bodyguard, my right hand man, and the bravest man I have ever met. But most importantly D'Jok, he is someone I would not want to be here without. He is my best friend, forever, and beyond"

_And so, ends the fic of the unique friendship forged between Corso and Sonny. I truly admire their devotion, to eachother and the cause they fight for. A big thank you to Paranoid Girl for allowing the use of her charracters and Chissia. It made my story so much better. It is almost a bit sad that this story is over, but there are more stories to come. I thank all that has supported me through this one, and gotten to know Sonny and Corso the way I see them._


End file.
